With nearly 15 years of experience in the arts, both in Australia and internationally, Jess is a producer and arts professional working at the unique intersection of creativity, community, and social impact. She has produced standout works including Blueberry Play (Ang Collins, 2018) at Griffin Theatre, The Astral Plane (Charlie Garber, 2019) at Belvoir St Theatre, and The Swell (Isley Lynn, 2024) at The Old Fitz Theatre, as well as productions for Redline Productions, New York City Fringe, and Adelaide Fringe. In 2020, Jess co-founded Akimbo and Co., an independent company driving bold, innovative projects and championing new approaches to storytelling and performance.

Jess’s career took a transformative turn in 2016 when she collaborated with Bond St Theatre, a New York-based NGO using the arts as a tool for conflict resolution in some of the world’s most complex contexts. Back in Australia, she has applied her expertise across community-focused initiatives, including a secondment with Aboriginal organisation Barang Regional Alliance, homelessness programs with Neami National’s STEP program, and community development with HopeSt Community Services in Woolloomooloo, focusing on young people and animal welfare. She has also worked as a consultant for Confit Pathways, supporting incarcerated and at-risk young people through fitness training and mentoring, and is a member of the Social Impact Hub’s Professional Impact Network.

Jess holds a postgraduate degree in Human and Community Services from the University of Sydney and has completed the Digital Storytellers’ Pathways to Purpose Program, where she learned to create impact-driven documentaries.

Awards: Outstanding Employee (Regional and State), NSW Business Awards 2025; Runner-up, Excellence in Social Impact, Social Impact Measurement Network Australia, 2023 (on behalf of Milk Crate Theatre); Runner-up, Outstanding Collaboration in Social Impact Measurement, SIMNA 2025 (on behalf of the Creating Impact project).