Jen traces her passion for clear writing and compelling communications back to her early school years when she was a voracious reader who loved diagramming sentences. But her path to a communications career was circuitous. With a love of the stories that make up history, a passion for Spanish, and an interest in teaching, she initially pursued a PhD in Latin American History. Following three years full of papers and reading, she left graduate school with her master's to find a path that would more directly connect her to people and the world. The decision to leave was one of the most formative of her life and she has never looked back.

Prior to joining New Profit, Jen spent two years living in Puerto Natales, a small town on the Ultima Esperanza sound in the far south of Chile. There, at "el fin del mundo," she pursued her passion for the Spanish language, Chilean food and wine, and Patagonian landscape and culture. Prior to moving abroad, Jen worked for nearly five years at the Corporate Executive Board in Washington, DC as a Research Associate and then an Associate Director of Research, where she honed her research, writing, and presentation skills for executives at multi-billion dollar companies. Jennifer received her master's degree in Latin American History from Cornell University and graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from William Smith College.

Jen is an urban dweller and loves living in Boston's South End. When she's not communicating for New Profit, she's eating out, cooking in, knitting, and traveling. She and her husband welcomed their first child in May 2010.

What did you want to be when you were 10 years old?
President of the United States. I created a TIME magazine cover in the sixth grade to capture the dream.

What is the most unusual job you've ever had?
Bilingual tour guide in the Torres del Paine National Park in Chile - $15 for a 14-hour day.

What is your favorite food?
H&H everything bagel toasted with light cream cheese and a slice of tomato, or, raw oysters.