Born and raised in Las Vegas, NV, Jessie comes from a family who was heavily invested in their community – her mother an educator and her father a soccer coach. Growing up, she watched her parents advocate for their community and saw the importance of community support firsthand.

She chose her own passion and pursued a career in the arts with a mission of making art accessible to the many communities, like her own, who have been historically excluded from the art world.

Jessie began her career by leading the promotional and branding efforts of a National Geographic photographer, sharing images to audiences of millions on National Geographic’s Instagram. She eventually went on to oversee Digital Engagement for the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. At this role, her main focus was using the marketing arm of the museums to advocate for racial justice and equity within the arts world.

It was doing this work she realized her true passion was in fact education. In her years at Stand, she has used her skills as a marketer to advocate for racial justice and equity in education and policy and to become more embedded in the community she loves.