A seasoned Public Administration and African Development Practitioner, Jessica has a Master's degree from the New School's Public Engagement program, a Bachelor's degree from the University at Buffalo, and is currently pursuing her Doctorate in Public Administration. 

Over the past decade, Jessica’s career has involved managing multi-million-dollar programs in more than 20 African and MENA countries, providing capacity-building support to local organizations. Born and raised in the Democratic Republic of Congo during the First and Second Congo Wars, Jessica witnessed firsthand the devastating impact of conflict and the urgent need for a robust diaspora engagement strategy to strengthen development outcomes and reduce brain drain through connection, knowledge and resource sharing. This realization led her to establish the platform African Diaspora Connection in 2020.