Actionable Frameworks and Inspiration.
I help audiences understand how to build thriving communities and scale mission-driven organizations through strategic marketing, scrappy tactics, and authentic engagement. With 15 years in edtech and community building, I share actionable frameworks and inspiration.
Six topics I love to dig into.
Building Community-Led Growth
How to transform passive users into active advocates who drive revenue and retention — without expensive campaigns. Real frameworks from building communities of 2M+ members.
Leadership Development Through Community
How to develop leaders at scale through community programs. Lessons from training 300+ organizers globally and managing teams of volunteers and staff.
Facilitation Frameworks That Spark Innovation
The systems and techniques that helped launch 60 startups through 60+ hackathons. Creating psychological safety, managing diverse teams, and inspiring people to do more than they thought possible.
Virtual & Hybrid Learning Best Practices
Strategies for effective online and hybrid professional development, community building, and engagement in virtual environments.
Scaling Edtech Startups from 0 to 100K Users
From product-market fit to sustainable growth: lessons from growing more than a dozen education startups with scrappy resourcefulness.
Mental Health Advocacy in Education
Supporting educator well-being and creating cultures of care in schools and education organizations. (Mental Health First Aid & IBM Mental Health Ally certified.)
Where I've spoken recently.
- •FOHE Solopreneurs — "Events as a Business Development Engine"
- •Pathlitics — "College Planning for Students with ADHD, Learning Differences and Autism"
- •Old Girls Club — "How to Design Events That Feel Like Experiences and Convert to Revenue"
- •IBM TechXchange — "15 Ways To Use Community In 15 Minutes"
- •SXSWedu — "Let's Talk About Mental Health in Schools"
- •SXSWedu — "Mental Health in the Future of Work"
- •CMX Summit — "How to Give Your Community the Connection They Crave at Your Events"
- •CMX Summit — "Bringing Engagement Back with Unconferences"
- •ISTE — "Designing Effective, Personalized and Differentiated Professional Learning in a Virtual World"
- •U.S. Department of State International Visitor Leadership Program on Education Startups and Technology (IVLP)
- •SXSWedu — "Growing an Education Innovation Community"
- •California Charter Schools Conference
- •Digital Promise Education Innovation Clusters Convening
- •Children, Youth, and Families at Risk (CYFAR) Conference
From education community builder to award-winning education technology leader.
In this video, I share why I got started in education technology and how I approach building communities that create real impact.
Pick the shape that fits your event.
Keynote Presentations
30–60 minute talks for conferences and large events.
Interactive Workshops
90-minute to half-day hands-on sessions with frameworks participants can implement immediately.
Panel Discussions
Expert panels and fireside chats on community and growth topics.
Custom Content
Tailored presentations for your specific audience, goals, and event theme.
Beyond speaking — I run the room.
I'm an experienced facilitator and emcee with a proven track record. I bring this expertise to workshops, panels, and can serve as emcee for your conference or event.
- ●Facilitated 60+ Startup Weekend hackathons (54-hour innovation bootcamps)
- ●6,000+ participants across all facilitated events
- ●95% team completion rate
- ●8/10 average Net Promoter Score
- ●60 startups launched from events I facilitated
- ●Expert at creating psychological safety in high-stakes environments
- ●Skilled at managing diverse teams and inspiring people to exceed their own expectations
From people who've watched me work.
She has a great presentation style to both youth and adult audiences, from the digital natives to digital immigrants. She can soar to the 35,000-foot level in one minute and then drop down the next into a detailed, yet totally understandable explanation.
Jessica is an upbeat and energetic coach. She can grab command of a packed room and organize disorganized groups quickly. She stepped up beyond just being a hackathon host and challenged us to validate our assumptions.
She has unlimited energy and really made the group feel great about all they could accomplish. She is organized, helps motivate people and certainly inspired me.
Interested in having Jessica speak at your event?
Send the contact form and include:
- • Event name, date, and location
- • Expected audience size and demographics
- • Preferred topic or theme
- • Format (keynote, workshop, panel)
- • Budget range