Jess M. Samuels
About Me
Hi there! I’m Jess, and I love helping people learn, connect, and succeed. Whether that’s through sales enablement, internal communications, or customer success. My background is a mix of training, communications, and relationship management, and I thrive on building programs and processes that make work easier, more effective, and more engaging.
In my career, I’ve designed sales enablement programs that help teams feel confident in what they’re selling, developed internal communications strategies that keep employees informed and engaged, and worked in sales/customer success to ensure clients get the most out of the products and services they use. No matter the focus, my goal is always the same: to create clarity, build relationships, and help people do their best work.
I enjoy working across teams, including Sales, Marketing, Customer Success, and Product, to ensure everyone has the tools and information they need to be successful. I’m also passionate about simplifying complex ideas, crafting meaningful messaging, and creating learning experiences that stick.
Collaboration and connection are at the core of everything I do. I love working in team-oriented, diverse environments where people share ideas, support each other, and are excited about their work.
Outside of work, I am an avid reader and audiobook listener. It’s my favorite way to recharge and stay inspired.
Let's connect and explore how we can work together.
Click here for quotes organized by skillset for:
Work Highlights
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Dive into a Case Study showcasing the impact I made in my role as Product Evangelist at 2U/Edx
Connect with me
jess [at] jessmsamuels.com
Recommendations
Don't take my word for it, take theirs...
Thank you for viewing my recommendations page. Since I know that you will be unable to see my LinkedIn recommendations unless we are close connections, I wanted to make my recommendations accessible to potential employers.
For ease of viewing, I have organized them in sections by the ways in which the recommenders interacted with me most. I invite you to connect with me LinkedIn, and you will see all of the below-verified recommendations on my profile as well.
Click here for quotes organized by skillset for:
Sales Enablement & Communication
Past Supervisors
Supervisor, StarRez
Jesus Lopez (he/him), Senior Manager, Community Relations
I've had the opportunity of working directly with Jess for almost two years. During this time, she has showcased her dedication to learning and collaboration, while truly caring for producing her best work and meeting expectations. She continuously seeks opportunities to grow and improve, always bringing a positive, team-oriented attitude to every project and event. Her investment to carry out any given task or project to the highest quality is evident in her preparation, attention to detail and sincere determination to doing things well. Jess has been an incredible asset to our team, showing dedication internally with her peers and the customers we serve. Jess is genuinely invested in the work that we do and is someone I can rely on to come through with whichever task is at hand.
Supervisor, 2U Strategy Communications Manager, Learning Product
Charles Westrin (he/him), SVP Learning Product
Current: Managing Director & Chief Product Officer, Boston Consulting Group
After supervising Jess on the Learning Product Strategy team, I can confidently say that she possesses a wide range of skills. Jess effectively communicated clear messages across teams, ensuring everyone was aligned with the team's goals, strategy, and tactics. She also demonstrated strong relationship management skills by following up with executives on sensitive deadlines. Jess served as a very effective project manager, holding stakeholders accountable for project deliverables and sharing important updates, highlighting her project management and organizational abilities.
Jess was a pleasure to work with and was always looking for new and better ways of doing things. She would be a great addition to any team lucky enough to have her join them.
Supervisor, 2U Product Evangelist, Boot Camps
Bret Fund (he/him), SVP, Alternative Credentials
Current: Chief Executive Officer, QuickStart Inc.
Jess demonstrated various skills as a Product Evangelist that allowed her to successfully manage and communicate five significant simultaneous changes to our Boot Camp business that affected everyone from Admissions to our University Partnership team. Her exceptional project management and organizational abilities were on full display as she created timelines for rollout and directed team members to accomplish specific deliverables. Jess also demonstrated excellent communication skills through a weekly update newsletter that evolved to include curriculum updates, Boot Camp roadmap changes, and updates from functional leaders.
Jess showed her cross-functional collaboration and stakeholder management abilities by holding monthly meetings with business stakeholders to keep everyone aligned and informed of what was on the roadmap. Her presentation design and delivery skills were utilized by our team to communicate to our University Partnerships team and to support program upsells.
Jess' team-building superpower shone through as she brought together a previously disparate product team through regular win/win sharing opportunities and personal connections. Her networking and communication skills allowed her to create allies and advocates across the company, further enhancing collaboration and teamwork. Overall, Jess demonstrated a wide range of expertise that integrated seamlessly to drive success in the Product Evangelist role. Jess is an absolute pleasure to work with and is genuinely caring and loving toward others. I highly recommend Jess to anyone as an exceptional employee and human being!
Supervisor, 2U Program Manager, Data & FinTech Boot Camps
Colin Lumsden (he/him), Former VP & Program Lead, Data & FinTech Boot Camps
Current: Vice President of Global Development, dialogEDU
Jess was one of the most talented individuals that I worked with at 2U.
Her skills set is broad, including product marketing, project management, training, team development and deep. She has very good organizational skills, is a clear and thoughtful communicator, and a relentless - in a good way - manager of people and teams. She was laser-focused on documentation, notes, and driving action. She holds teams accountable and can be counted on to drive towards results on complicated projects with multiple stakeholders. She can talk to anyone, build relationships, and break down silos.
On top of that, her extra-curricular work on 2Q, other DEI initiatives, and 2U Boo made her a valuable community builder, culture contributor and fun colleague. She works hard, but knows how to have fun too.
I would recommend Jess for any role that leverages her diverse skills and wonderful spirit.
Supervisor, 2U Student Success Manager,
Harvard Extension & University of New Hampshire
Juanita Soranno (she/siya), Former Northeast Regional Director
Current: Head of Impact, Cengage Group
Jess has continued to make herself indispensable. Her ability to identify areas of opportunity have led her to create great resources for our larger SSM team. Jess jumped in when we needed to flip our classes to the online modality due to COVID-19 and continued to help with the operational logistics of supporting students online.
Jess centers diversity, equity, and inclusion in her work which has made a huge impact on the way we survey, support, and speak with students and staff. She is a high performer who continues to seek out where improvements can be made and creates solutions that impact the larger business, all while maintaining excellence in her own market. I am proud to have her on my team and would recommend her highly.
StarRez, Account Manager - Community Relations
Nick Kirrane, Account Manager, Community Relations
I am truly lucky to have Jess as a colleague and teammate. She consistently goes out of her way to help our team thrive by pinpointing the most manual/time consuming parts of our job and finding ways to streamline and automate those tiresome tasks. She makes us more efficient and productive in doing so and approaches every task with an unbeatable work ethic and creative problem solving.
Randi Purvis, Account Manager, Community Relations
I am thrilled to recommend Jess, with whom I have had the pleasure of working for almost two years as an Account Manager at StarRez. From the moment she joined our Community Relations team, it was clear that Jess would add immense value.
Jess has an incredible ability to simplify complex operations and processes, making them more digestible. Her intuitive approach to teaching and demonstrating processes, using a variety of tools, is remarkable. For instance, she created a series of "Jess' Gems" – short how-to videos on tasks like pulling reports, identifying conference contacts, and using LinkedIn, etc. While these processes are not inherently complicated, they can sometimes take the most time as they can be tedious and repetitive and her videos assist in breaking steps down as well as highlighting shortcuts or automations that may not have been previously known.
Jess is also the champion of our CR team. She never misses an opportunity to celebrate others' successes or welcome new team members. She is one of the most inclusive people I have ever worked with and is adept at adapting her teaching and engagement style to meet individual needs.
I highly recommend Jess Samuels!
Sally Langford, Account Manager, Community Relations
Jess has been an amazing colleague to work with and collaborate with. During my time working with Jess she has provided so many helpful resources, including managing and creating reports in Salesforce and creating "Jess' Gems" with helpful tips and advice to help us be successful in our roles. Jess really seeks out opportunities to empower and uplift her teammates. Jess excels in report creation and solution selling, she always looks for creative and unique ways to support her clients. I can always rely on Jess to get the job done AND follow up with me!
Rocken Roll, Account Manager, Community Relations
Jess is an awesome coworker and is someone that I have looked to for guidance and also inspiration during my time as an account manager with StarRez. Jess has strong organizational skills and often shares incredibly helpful resources that she has developed with other members of the account manger team. In the year and a half that I have worked with Jess she has stood out as a role model on our team and is a colleague that we all know we can depend on to follow through on the things she says she is going to do.
Jacob Simon, Account Manager, Community Relations
Jess has been an exceptional colleague at StarRez. She consistently identifies gaps in understanding for our team and creates her own "how to" videos, instructions, and guides to assist the team in being more efficient, effective, and successful. Her work ethic, combined with her kindness and professionalism, make her a standout teammate.
Erica Paige Monnin, Account Manager, Community Relations
I am in awe of the energy and commitment Jess brings to everything she does at StarRez! I came on as a new staff member and peer of Jess, and I have learned so much from her in a few short months. She invests time in creating organizational and communication systems and shares the wealth! Our team has so many great tools at our disposal, and Jess truly optimizes all that we have to make our work more efficient. Jess focuses on relationship building with her colleagues and customers and role models professionalism and genuine connection! It has been fun to work alongside and learn from Jess!
Christian Barber, Account Manager, Community Relations
I have had the opportunity to work alongside Jess as a fellow StarRez Community Relations Account Manager for some time and have been able to see her exceptional skills and talents. In particular, Jess is an extremely well-organized and thoughtful professional who manages the many complex and often-competing duties of the Account Manager role. She has built strong relationships with many of her colleagues and customers, focusing on building trust and serving as a trusted advisor to our student housing community members.
Mark Ewing, Account Manager, Community Relations
There are not enough words to describe how amazing a teammate Jess is. Since day one, Jess has positively impacted the Community Relations team here at StarRez. From incredible Excel spreadsheets, impactful Salesforce reports, to video guides on how to be more effective with our administrative tasks- Jess has done and created them all.
The positive impact Jess has had on StarRez and her colleagues is only surpassed by how much love and attention Jess has given her clients. Jess has continually gone above and beyond in how she supported her clients during her tenure in the Account Manager role at StarRez. She immediately hit the road and got face time with her universities. She put hundreds of miles of travel under her belt as she spent time in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, meeting with schools and universities that were in remote areas.
Any organization that hires Jess will be immediately impacted by a truly amazing human being.
I strongly recommend Jess for any role, any position.
Josh Gostlin, Sales Development Representative
have worked closely with Jess for just under 6 months and Jess has been a wonderful partner to me. She has done an excellent job mentoring me to be more organized and efficient in my position.
Jess and I meet bi-weekly to prepare outreach for our territory and to work together to create outreach language for our accounts. Jess has offered great advice and has contributed strategic, well-thought-out, deliberate conversations with me to reach our outreach goals. Jess is flexible and always open to new ways of outreaching to our accounts. During our bi-weekly meetings, Jess has offered advice and perspective on different ways to leverage our software to be more efficient and successful while outreaching to our accounts. Additionally, Jess has helped create many reports, contact sheets, spread sheets, and other crucial organization documents to grow our partnership to better serve our customers.
Outside of her job responsibilities, Jess makes people feel valued and they belong. When I transitioned to my current position, it was nervous starting a fully remote position; especially about my ability to connect with my coworkers in a completely digital field. Jess was there since day one to help create a welcoming environment for me that has pushed me to be a better professional.
I am incredibly grateful to be able to work closely and learn from Jess, and I would recommend Jess as a partner on any project to ensure ultimate success.
Martin Sagendorf, Customer Success Manager
I've had the privilege of working alongside Jess at StarRez, where we collaborate to support accounts and deliver outstanding service to our customers. As a Customer Success Manager, I rely heavily on teamwork, and Jess, in her role as Account Manager, has been an exceptional partner.
Jess is incredibly responsive, whether it's addressing a customer inquiry or coordinating with me on important tasks. Her speed and attentiveness ensure smooth communication and swift resolutions. What truly stands out about Jess is her meticulous approach—she is both highly detailed and extremely organized, which keeps everything running seamlessly.
Jess also excels at building strong and lasting relationships with our customers. Her dedication shines through when urgent matters arise, as she always steps in willingly to assist and resolve issues with grace and efficiency. Jess’s commitment to customer success and her natural ability to connect with people are genuinely impressive.
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed working with Jess and have learned a great deal from her professionalism and proactive approach. She's truly a valuable asset to our team.
Myrinda Grantham, Senior Solutions Analyst
I have had the pleasure of working with Jess for the last couple of years in her role as an Account Manager at StarRez, Inc. and she has been one of my favorite colleagues to work with. In my role as a Sales Engineer, I count on Jess and her colleagues to provide detailed notes, prepare me for demos, and conduct thorough research so I can show up and give the best demo possible to her customers. She gets a 10/10 from me in these categories. She's always very prepared, well-researched, and organized, and she always does excellent work.
Jordyn Hogan, Solutions Analyst
Jess is a wonderful coworker. She provides high level customer service while making sure I have everything I need to be successful as her colleague. I am forever impressed with her professionalism, kindness, ability to relate and work ethic. I always look forward to getting to spend time with her both professionally and personally because she is just an all around wonderful human being.
Ann Buesing Morgenstern, Director of Community Management
Jess is amazing at connecting people and creating shareable processes that enable others to easily repeat her success. At our Global Conference, Jess connected customers attending from her territory to ensure they were comfortable navigating the event and always had a friend to sit with at meals! She also initiated smaller group interactions and a table for water bottle and book stickers, which was a huge hit.
Kelsey Kunce Popio, Senior Renewals Manager
Jess has been an amazing colleague to partner with! Jess' attention to detail has not gone unnoticed when we share accounts and I cannot speak highly enough of her contributions to both our team and the broader organization.
Jess is a true collaborative partner, regularly engaging with my team to drive wins for both sides. She takes the time to understand our challenges and goals, always finding innovative ways to align efforts and deliver exceptional results. Jess's efforts have had a direct impact on my team's ability to operate more smoothly and efficiently, which has been invaluable.
Overall, Jess is an exceptional team player with a rare combination of strategic thinking, problem-solving ability, and a genuine desire to help others succeed. I highly recommend her for any team or project as she surely will make a positive impact wherever she goes.
Cori Goede, Senior Renewals Manager
I've had such a great experience working with Jess! We partner on shared accounts, and she is truly a gem to collaborate with.
I’ve been so impressed with Jess’s ability to pivot from higher education to the SaaS industry, a career transition that is no easy feat. She has thrived as an Account Manager at StarRez, consistently driving revenue success and empowering both customers and teammates with the knowledge, tools, and insights needed to maximize value.
What I love most about working with Jess is her ability to foster collaboration, streamline processes, and ensure teams have the resources to exceed their goals. Whether she’s refining sales strategies, training teams, or implementing innovative solutions, her contributions leave a lasting impact on both individual and organizational success.
Jess is always quick to jump on a call, align on objectives, and drive projects forward with clarity and efficiency. Her ability to build strong relationships and maintain consistency across teams makes her an invaluable asset to any go-to-market strategy!
“Jess is an incredible leader and product partner who brings significant value to the teams and projects with which she works. At her core, Jess possesses strong values of ownership, equity, and individual respect for others.”
Bryan Kersten,
edX/2U Senior Director of Product Delivery & Quality
edX/2U
Strategic Communications Manager,
Product Evangelist, &
Program Manager
Melanie Andrich, MBA (she/her) Former Vice President, Degrees & Learning Product
Jess Samuels is an accomplished leader of people in technical environments. She creates and curates tools to focus and engage cross-functional teams around strategic initiatives that drive business outcomes. While I did not have the pleasure of managing Jess directly, I worked closely with her on complex and multi-year projects and was always impressed. Jess would make an incredible Chief of Staff or Customer Success Leader because of her talent in communication, team leadership, knowledge management, executive and stakeholder engagement, and project management. Please contact me for any additional information about Jess' professional performance.
Bryan Kersten (He/Him), Senior Director of Product Delivery & Quality
Jess is an incredible leader and product partner who brings significant value to the teams and projects with which she works. At her core, Jess possesses strong values of ownership, equity, and individual respect for others.
I had multiple opportunities to work closely with Jess on complex cross-functional projects. Through each experience, I found her to be a valuable leader with strong organization and communication skills. She was always sharply attuned to where the process and communication gaps were and took the lead in helping us bridge those in creative ways. She also took ownership over collecting information across disparate teams and boiling it down for her audience, whether it was an executive group or stakeholders who needed the full details.
On top of keeping us aligned and on track, Jess was also great fun, using her great sense of humor to keep group meetings positive and productive. I strongly recommend Jess for any leadership role that leverages these skills.
Rachel Mallinger (PMP), Director, New Partner Implementation
Few people embody the culture and spirit of an organization in the way that Jess Samuels does. I had the pleasure of working with Jess for two years in her various roles, supporting the Boot Camp Product team - collaborating on various product enhancement roll-outs, new program launches, and even customizing professional development training for our teams.
I was always impressed by how she took the time to get to know everyone around her and understand their needs to ensure that she could not only support them, but also amplify their voice within the organization. Her positive attitude and ability to bring joy to those around her are traits that Jess is well known and applauded for, and would make her an amazing asset to any team.
Timamu Wilson, Senior Director of Global Career Coaching and Advising
I have had the pleasure of working with Jess for at 2U/edX, and I can confidently say that they are an exceptional professional with a diverse range of skills and abilities.
Throughout our time working together, I have been consistently impressed by Jess's exceptional communication skills. Whether it's navigating complex client relationships, collaborating with colleagues on projects, or presenting ideas to senior leadership, Jess has a talent for clearly and effectively conveying their message.
In addition to their communication skills, Jess is also an outstanding relationship builder. They have a natural ability to connect with others and build strong, lasting relationships. I have seen this in action in their work with clients, as well as their interactions with colleagues across the organization.
Furthermore, Jess has consistently demonstrated their commitment to providing excellent customer service. They take a proactive approach to identifying and addressing customer needs, and are always willing to go the extra mile to ensure that clients are satisfied with their experience.
In terms of organization and project management, Jess is a true asset to any team. They are detail-oriented, highly organized, and adept at managing multiple projects and priorities simultaneously. Their ability to keep track of the moving parts of a project and ensure that all stakeholders are informed and aligned is truly impressive.
Overall, I would highly recommend Jess for any role that requires strong communication, relationship building, customer service, organization, and project management skills. They are a talented and dedicated professional who would be an asset to any organization.
[Team Member - Boot Camp Product]
Fanessa Hilaire, Former Product Evangelist
I am thrilled to write this recommendation for Jess Samuels, who I had the pleasure of working with at 2U/edX. Jess brought a unique combination of a strategic, goal-oriented mindset and an energetic, positive attitude to all of her work. I had the opportunity to partner with Jess on our Product Team where I saw her go above and beyond her job description on a regular basis, always seeking ways to help the organization grow and improve.
One of Jess's greatest strengths is her exceptional communication skills. She has a talent for clearly and effectively conveying her message, whether it's navigating complex University relationships, collaborating with colleagues on projects, or presenting ideas to senior leadership. Jess is also an outstanding relationship builder and has a natural ability to connect with others and build strong, lasting relationships. Jess is also a true asset to any team when it comes to organization and project management. She is detail-oriented, highly organized, and adept at managing multiple projects and priorities simultaneously. Her ability to keep track of the moving parts of a project and ensure that all stakeholders are informed and aligned is truly impressive.
Overall, I highly recommend Jess for any role that requires strong communication, relationship building, organization, and project management skills. She is a talented and dedicated professional who adds value to every interaction, every meeting, and every department she interacts with. Any organization would be fortunate to have an employee like Jess on their team.
Jannkarlo Gamarra, M.Ed, Director Student Finance
I've had the pleasure of working alongside Jess on multiple projects at 2U, where she demonstrated an incredible range of skills and a truly infectious positive energy that lifted our whole team. Jess is a natural communicator—clear, responsive, and incredibly effective at keeping everyone on the same page, no matter the project’s complexity. Her ability to build relationships is outstanding; she’s approachable, empathetic, and quickly earns the trust of colleagues fostering strong and enduring connections.
Jess' genuine collaboration style and the uplifting energy she brings to every interaction motivates those around her to achieve their best. I wholeheartedly recommend Jess to any organization looking for a skilled, reliable, and inspiring professional.
Greg S. Gallant, Senior Director of Central Support, Boot Camps
As the Senior Director of Central Support for our Boot Camps, I had the pleasure of working closely with Jess during her tenure at Trilogy and edX/2U where she held multiple roles. Jess consistently demonstrated her proactive approach by reaching out to my team or me whenever we needed to prepare for changes that would impact our centralized student support teams.
Jess's communication style was exceptional, enabling us to work together seamlessly to come up with the best solutions to any upcoming challenges. Her meticulous attention to detail, excellent collaborative skills, and strategic thinking made her an invaluable member of the Boot Camp team.
Based on my experience working with Jess, I confidently recommend her for any position that requires an exceptional internal partner. She is a pleasure to work with, and I am certain that her contributions would be a great asset to any employer.
[Team Member - Learning Product Strategy]
Marshall Schurtz, PhD, Former Product Strategy Manager
I had the pleasure of working with Jess Samuels during our time together at 2U, where we collaborated on the Learning Product Strategy and Boot Camps teams. Throughout our time working together, Jess consistently demonstrated her exceptional skills as a team player, her eagerness to learn, and her ability to build meaningful connections between teams. With her warm and engaging personality, she fosters a sense of collaboration and unity that makes everyone feel valued and appreciated. Her enthusiasm for teamwork and communication brings out the best in all of us.
Jess's passion for learning is another trait that sets her apart from others. She consistently took the initiative to explore new topics and expand her knowledge base, even in areas that were initially unfamiliar to her. By doing so, Jess not only enriched her own understanding but also brought valuable insights to our team, enabling us to develop innovative and effective strategies. In addition to her eagerness to learn, Jess's resourcefulness was instrumental in our team's success. She made excellent use of her extensive book club rolodex, tapping into a wealth of knowledge to bring fresh perspectives and ideas to the table. This unique approach made a significant impact on the quality of our work and the overall success of our projects. Jess was a wonderful part of our team and she would be a wonderful addition to any future team.
[Team Member - Learning Product Strategy]
Laura Wright, Former Senior Director, Portfolio & Growth Strategy
Current: Senior Director, Corporate Strategy, Academic Partnerships
Jess is a fabulous teammate - any organization would be lucky to have her! She’s a logical, clear thinker; always looking to meet team and business needs and anticipates them well, (even when the team isn’t sure what it needs); and she is an even-keeled, inclusive, natural leader. I brought her into a complicated, new project late to help us organize and communicate across at least six different teams. She proactively set up meetings to learn, implemented project management tools, and got us organized and marching to the beat of the same drum in no time. She was just amazing at adapting to the team’s needs and driving cohesion and progress.
[Team Member - Learning Product Strategy]
Karina Bean, Senior Director Consumer Insights & Analytics
Jess is one of the warmest, kindest, and most fun people you will ever meet! I joined a predominantly US-based team at the end of 2022 while residing in Cape Town, South Africa. Jess instantly made me feel welcome and valued (across continents)! She has an incredible ability to listen for understanding. Jess is skilled at having difficult conversations and mediating situations for win-win results. With these skills she naturally gravitates to building a true sense of community wherever she goes.
Jess always goes above and beyond. Taking on leadership roles for business resource networks and other initiatives to improve the well-being of co-workers over and above her day-to-day responsibilities. In 2022 Jess won a companywide award for living the guiding principle of being bold and fearless. Anyone who is lucky enough to get the opportunity to work with or for Jess, please take it! Halloween will never be the same for you ever again.
[Team Member - Learning Product Strategy]
Eric Skuse, Senior Category Manager
March 29, 2023, Eric worked with Jess M. on the same teamMarch 29, 2023, Eric worked with Jess M. on the same team
Jess brings a ton of passion to everything she does. Her ability to get people together and excited about strategic initiatives was a great value to our organization, and the best part of her approach was that she put the extra effort in to strike the right balance between fun engagement and productive time as she led the internal communications planning for a large new organization at our company. She also thinks outside the box to set up opportunities for her colleagues to interact with each other, and learn in creative ways in service of strategic goals. I would not hesitate to recommend Jess for a strategic communications role.
[Team Member - Boot Camp Product]
Jonathan W. Williams (He/Him), Former Director Curriculum Development
Current: Assistant Professor of Management & Information Technology
I worked with Jess as a colleague at 2U/edX on the broader Data & FinTech Bootcamp learning product team. Jess is the best kind of colleague: a skilled connector, collaborator, and champion of the student voice.
While working with Jess, she had the ability to connect different parts of the organization together in order to deliver outstanding results for our university partners. I saw this in Jess's work at 2U/edX, particularly when she organized the Data & FinTech Bootcamp team retreat. It was well planned and organized, but most importantly, Jess convened the right people to be part of the conversation.
Jess cares deeply about her colleagues and is never one to forget a birthday or is the first to plan a celebration for a work or life milestone. Jess naturally builds team spirit and community in whatever context she is in. I can't recommend Jess enough; any organization would be lucky to have her as part of their team.
[Team Member - Boot Camp Product]
Alison Wells, Former Senior Product Manager, Boot Camps
Jess was my partner in crime for the Data and Fintech Boot Camp products at 2U, and I could not have asked for a better counterpart. Her ability to connect people and their passions cannot be matched. She's organized, communicative, and transparent. She has a knack for bringing fun and a larger perspective to any challenge and she does it with flair. She is an intrepid advocate for doing what's right and is an asset to any team. I am happy to recommend her to any future teammates.
[Team Member - Boot Camp Product]
Olivia Geiger, Former Senior Product Marketing Manager, Boot Camps
Current: Product Marketing Manager, LinkedIn
Jess and I worked together as part of the Product team for 2U bootcamps, which was a newly formed team where many of us were stepping into different roles we hadn't done before. Jess quickly embraced her new role as Product Evangelist and was eager to learn and make an impact, which was incredibly helpful to me as a Product Manager for our Coding Bootcamps. We collaborated together on numerous trainings for our Admissions team, and her perspective as a former Student Success Manager was invaluable in making sure we had a student-centric approach to our product and GTM strategy. Jess also coordinated an incredibly complex schedule change for our bootcamps including changes in online/blended modalities and start dates, all while keeping our cross-functional partners informed even though details were constantly changing. She has strong organization and relationship-building skills which is why she was so effective in this role.
Jess not only knows how to get things done, but has fun doing it! She has a positive attitude and lifts up others on her team - she was always first to rally our group around recognizing others for positive contributions or submitting their names for a company award nomination (I'm not surprised she ended up winning an award herself!). I will also never forget her different Halloween costumers for every meeting during Halloween week - she encouraged us all to find fun in our busy work days and to enjoy our time working together, which is so important. I think Jess would make a fantastic contribution to any future team!
[Team Member - Boot Camp Product]
Sarah Fox (she/her), Product Performance & Operations Manager
I've had the pleasure of seeing Jess in each role she held at 2U and one thing remained constant: her passion for the work she does and the people she works with. Whether program management, communications, project management, student success, Jess has a broad skillset that can be applied to multiple positions and industries. Her outputs are superb, she requests and incorporates feedback to make sure it is fitting the needs of the intended audience, and she is always looking for ways to provide more value and solve problems with the work she does. Jess can rally a group like nothing I've ever seen. This is because of her skills as a cross-functional collaborator and communicator, and her ability to sit back and listen before planning a path forward. Jess loves to get things done, with quality and purpose as her drivers.
Jess demonstrates an understanding that we are what creates the culture of a company, and she strives to impact that in positive ways every day. She speaks up when someone needs to, she infuses fun into everyday work, and she cares deeply.
I highly recommend Jess, she will be an asset to any team and company.
[Team Member - Boot Camp Product]
Christina Shin, Former edX/2U Product Manager, Boot Camps
Current: Product Marketing at Chegg
I worked with Jess at 2U on the product team and she was integral to getting our team organized and effective. She created processes, order and structure to our very new team and was able to identify communications needs from our team to the rest of the organization and get us set up for success. I highly recommend Jess who is dedicated, passionate about her work and brings so much energy!
[Team Member - Boot Camp Product]
Stacey Tietz (she/her), Former Sr. Product Performance & Operations Manager
Current: Sr. Strategic Planning & Operations Manager
If you are offered the chance to hire Jess, don't think twice. Beyond the value that Jess adds as a key contributor for organization, facilitation, presentations, training and change comms, Jess is exceptional at building relationships, fostering community in the workplace and making work fun. Jess is authentic, dedicated to the overall purpose and strives to go above and beyond with her team. Jess finds gaps in communications or processes, and immediately takes action to fill them. This can sometimes mean working across different lines of business to achieve desired results and she makes it look so easy. Having Jess a part of your team, makes your team exponentially better.
[Team Member - Boot Camp Product]
Abby Drish, Product Performance Operations Manager
Having the opportunity to work with Jess was a true joy. Her passion and positive attitude is infectious. She is a skilled presenter and trainer, and does a tremendous job collaborating with others. She is also extremely organized, very detail orientated, and brings a fun spirit to the culture. Any company would be lucky to have her!
Michelle Furnari, Senior Manager, New Partner Implementation
I had the opportunity to work and collaborate with Jess while launching new products and programs at 2U. As a frequent stakeholder of the product team, Jess served as my go-to for any and all product-related questions. She managed a portfolio of products, but was never too busy to help with new product/program launches, and serve as a thought partner.
Jess is the type of coworker that I was always happy to see and work with when our paths would cross on a project. She is organized and effective in managing both projects and people, while also being an extraordinary team player. She is passionately devoted to her work, and brings an infectious positive energy to every meeting and/or project. A force to be reckoned with, I highly recommend Jess!
Bonnie du Plessis (she/her), Former Project Manager, Boot Camp Learning
Current: Technical Project Manager, edX/2U
Working with Jess was such a joy and a true honor! I got to know Jess when she joined the Boot Camp product team as the Data & Fintech & Boot Camps program manager. Her ability to connect with people and build strong relationships amazes me. Jess has a knack for diving into her role and getting things done! Jess is super organized, and a great communicator. Any team and organization would be lucky to have her in Customer Success, Student Success, Internal Communications, Employee Engagement, or Operations.
Jayson Beagley, Regional Director - Field Operations
Jess is a consummate professional who has executive-level skills and experience coupled with drive, passion, and integrity. She is a solid performer with the ability to adapt quickly and effectively to dynamic business demands. Jess is an effective strategist and problem solver, who executes in a timely and efficient manner. In addition, she is an effective leader and mentor. I have personally witnessed her ability to inspire both teams and individuals toward action and positive outcomes, with her direct and open communication style. She is truly an asset to any organization lucky enough to have her. I look forward to any opportunity to work or collaborate with Jess in my future endeavors.
Sammy Marcus (she/her), Partner Manager
Jess was an absolute pleasure to work with. I was always amazed by her organization, attention to detail and project management expertise. Jess was exceptional at synthesizing large amounts of data into digestible formats. Above all, her passion shined through and anyone would be lucky to work with her.
“In our time working together, I truly felt that Jess and I were able to understand each other's motivations and respect our points of view. She is an incredibly hard worker and a genuinely wonderful human”
Luke Fogel, Former Manager of Special Programs, Harvard Division of Continuing Education Professional Development Programs
edX/2U
Student Success Manager
Luke Fogel, Former Manager of Special Programs, Harvard Division of Continuing Education Professional Development Programs
Current: Senior Program Manager, Learning & Development, Keystone Strategy
Jess was my partnership counterpart while she was at 2U. Jess was incredibly collaborative and committed to ensuring that our partnership run in the most efficient and beneficial way.
The main task at hand was to ensure complete customer/student satisfaction and Jess took that very seriously. She was/is dedicated to the mission that students/customers received the full value of the boot camp experience and that they felt supported towards their mission of completing their certificate. Jess is highly creative and organized. thinking of innovative methods of maintaining student engagement, even during the most rigorous points of the curriculum.
Jess is also skilled at understanding her professional landscape and stakeholders. The students were the main priority; however, we also had to adhere to Harvard's standards of operation and institutional language. Jess perfectly balanced these priorities, even when they competed against each other, and kept a professional composure through it all.
In our time working together, I truly felt that Jess and I were able to understand each other's motivations and respect our points of view. She is an incredibly hard worker and a genuinely wonderful human. Any company would be lucky to have her.
Adrienne Esposto, Former Senior Director/General Manager, Global Partnerships
Current: Customer Success Manager, Sales Impact Academy
I worked with Jess in her role as a Student Success Manager at 2U/edX. Jess was a person who brought enthusiasm and creativity to her work. In her role as a Student Success Manager she was responsible for managing the classroom experience for learners in her courses. This included coaching instructors, cultivating a healthy classroom environment and relaying feedback to the internal team to improve learner experience. This required her to manage the student lifecycle from beginning to end and carrying a substantial and complex book of business. Outside of her day-to-day responsibilities, she took the initiative to create a Boot Camp Diversity Resources website for Boot Camp learners and grads to connect them to communities during and after boot camp. She was also a leader in sharing best practices across her peers to ensure that all learners had access to the best possible classroom experience. The skills she honed in this role are ones that I believe will serve her well as she pursues new opportunities in the customer success space.
While not in our direct work together, I also had the opportunity to observe Jess' as a community member at 2U and a leader of a BRN. She was highly participatory in events that were hosted as we transitioned to a fully remote work environment and made an effort to include others in this work. As a BRN leader she had the opportunity to interface directly with senior leadership at 2U and enact real change for employees. I'd strongly recommend Jess to any role that is looking for a person who will bring enthusiasm, passion and a can-do attitude to her next opportunity.
Mark Thompson, Former Instructor for Harvard Extension Boot Camp & Director of Instructional Quality
Current: Senior Developer Relations Engineer, Google
Jess is a fantastic team member and I got to work with her closely at Harvard. I was always impressed by her thoughtful and intentional approach to leadership. Her communication is next level and I would welcome the opportunity to work with her again.
Sarah Campbell (she/her), Former Senior Student Success Manager
Current: Customer Success Manager-Emerging Companies, Shoobx, Inc.
You know those employees that always seem to give 100%? They are intentionally excellent, show up with a great attitude, and purposely seek out ways to add value and help others? Yes, I know...where are they?! They are extremely rare! Look no further though, because Jess IS that person.
I worked with Jess initially at Trilogy Education Services, then at 2U following an acquisition, as Student Success Managers. Of our team of about 75 employees, the same handful of names would constantly bubble up in each quarterly meeting when we reviewed the numbers, talked about new projects, and general "goings on" in the business. Jess was ALWAYS there. Her name came up when there were positive reviews from students and enterprise partners, her name came up when a new initiative was taking off and no one else had the bandwidth to do it, her name came up whenever someone was looking for helpful resources to do their work more efficiently. Jess had probably already designed a webpage of helpful resources to just give to people.
If I had an idea, or needed help, or someone else's informed opinion, I reached out to Jess.
So if you're seeking someone in customer success/student success or employee engagement who's default setting is to make any situation better and give back more than 100%...hire Jess. It's one of the best decisions you'll ever make for your business.
Maria Khan, UNH Boot Camp Student
Current: Associate Software Engineer, Liberty Mutual
Jess has to have been my favorite part of the University of New Hampshire's coding boot camp. Why? She is so dedicated to her position. She cared for the students and wanted to do everything to help get us to our goals. Especially with covid as students we faced challenges. She pushed for offering information on diversity in tech and women in tech. For me this helped me feel so great and welcomed! She is a special person to work with. Happy to meet with students at any point. Also creating a fun atmosphere for all of us students. You are lucky to have her on your team if you get that chance!
Mandi Ginn-Franz, Student Success Manager
I had the pleasure of working with Jess at 2U. She is one of the most dedicated employees I have ever worked with! Jess truly embodies what it means to lean into an organization and learn all that she can. Additionally, Jess adds value to every meeting, every interaction, and every department she interacts with. She is an asset to any organization and I hope to get the opportunity to work with her again one day. I was fortunate to work with Jess as a fellow SSM but I also saw Jess in many ERG's and training session as well - She was thoroughly involved in the organization. I learned from my interactions with Jess and appreciated the value and passion she showed up with daily. Any organization would be fortunate to have an employee like this on their team and I highly recommend Jess Samuels!
[Team Member - Northeast/Southeast Region]
Joanna McKay, Director of Central Operations at 2U
Jess bring authentic joy to the workplace. Her ability to build connection to drive change is unmatched. She cares deeply about other suceeding whether it be going above and beyond in the classroom during her SSM role, or facilitating changes to curriculmn content. Jess's work was critical in creating and driving many of the best proactices we have in place both on the learner experience and operationally.
[Team Member - Northeast/Southeast Region]
Gemini Sanford (she/her), Senior Student Success Manager
I am actually sad there is a 3,000-word limit for referrals because I could write a book about Jess' talents in higher education, customer support, and leadership. I knew Jess when we were Student Success Managers for Trilogy/2U. If enthusiasm could be personified, it would be Jess. When we worked together, I never saw a task, challenge, or situation she didn't delve into wholeheartedly, which was quickly recognized as she moved through our organization. Jess has a keen mind, and attention to detail that would allow for quick solving of whatever task was at hand. Jess was a gold-standard Success Manager, and I know we all admired her tenacity, commitment, and professionalism. Personally, I knew I could count on Jess to give me a unique perspective on whatever challenge I was facing. Jess is a strategic communicator and advocate, and would especially excel in any position that would utilize her innate drive and natural leadership skills.
[Team Member - Northeast/Southeast Region]
Christie Nadratowski (she/her), Senior Student Success Manager
Current: Director of Customer Success, CDI LLC
Jess is always willing to help, and she offers well-thought-out advice. She's constantly creating new resources and working toward the end goal of making life easier for SSMs! She is collaborative, smart, hard-working, and considerate. Couldn't ask for a better colleague. Thanks, Jess!
Ashley Neff, Student Success Manager
Current: Director of Research and Prospect Management
I worked with Jess at 2U from 2019-20. Jess brought the ideal combination of a strategic, goal-oriented mindset and an energetic, positive attitude to all of her work. She was consistently one of the highest performers on our student success manager team and went on to excel in other roles within the company. I know from my experience partnering with Jess on a process improvement team that she went above and beyond her job description on a regular basis, always seeking ways to help the organization grow and improve. I recommend Jess highly and hope our paths cross again professionally in the future.
Ren Q. Dawe (he/they),
Current 2Q LGBTQIA+ BRN/ERG Chair
“I absolutely would not have been able to grow in the ways I have as a leader, an advocate, and an education professional with out Jess’ guidance, encouragement, accountability and support."
edX/2U DEI&B
Business Resource Network/
Employee Resource Group
Ren Q Dawe, MBA, (he/they), 2Q LGBTQIA+ Network Global Chair
I worked with and mentored under Jess in 2Q, 2U’s employee resource group and business resource network for LGBTQ+ employees.
Jess sought me out for a role in 2Q leadership, encouraged me to project manage events, supported me and gave me valuable feedback on larger scope projects, and was a pillar for both 2Q and the larger 2U community. This is evidenced in their community participation (both in person and remotely) as well as their most recent awarding of the “No Back Row” award, signifying invaluable contributions to the business and culture of the company.
Jess’ leadership is present even with out her presence. Jess made significant and beneficial adjustments to policy that empower leaders in the DEI space in everyday responsibilities and engagements. Jess helped organize with the larger ERG community, internally and externally, and used her administrative skills to standardize practices and communication protocols.
More than any major project that Jess spearheaded (and there are MANY), Jess was my friend, my ally, and my teacher. I absolutely would not have been able to grow in the ways I have as a leader, an advocate, and an education professional with out Jess’ guidance, encouragement, accountability and support.
Every team Jess worked with is grieving their absence. A company would be remiss to pass up such an incredibly hard-working, dedicated, and passionate candidate.
I was blessed to work with and mentor under Jess Samuels, and I am truly excited to see what is next for her.
Heejin (Jeenie) Yoon (she/her), LMSW, Former Asian & Pacific Islander Network Global Chair
Jess Samuels is one of the most thoughtful leaders I have had the pleasure of coming across. In working as Business Resource Network leaders, I have seen Jess lead with enthusiasm, compassion, and an eye towards equity. She is always making space for others, particularly voices that are being ignored or are not at the table, and she thoroughly makes sure that all people working with her feel that they belong and are valued. Jess is highly organized, demonstrated a high degree of future-oriented thinking, and is often the first to complete her tasks in group projects. She is reliable, dependable, and kind to boot.
Shaté L. Hayes (she/her), Black Engagement Network Chair
Jess is such an engaged team member with great ideas, an eye for efficiency, and a true collaborative spirit. We worked most closely together in our leadership roles for 2U BRNs. During that time, and always, Jess consistently showed up ready to go and with a can-do attitude. She's candid and effective and has a lot of heart. She was such an asset to 2U and would be an asset to any organization. Highly recommend!
Kelsy Doheny (she/her), Women's Alliance Network Chair
I worked alongside Jess while she was leading 2U's LGBTQIA+ Business Resource Network, 2Q. As the leader of the Women's Alliance Network (W.A.N) at 2U, I had the pleasure of witnessing Jess in a leadership role for over a year. Jess was our leader of leaders; always keeping us aligned and asking the hard question to advance DEI efforts at 2U. Even though this was a volunteer position, Jess approached it with all the passion and drive with which she approached her paid work. 2U is a better place for having had an employee like Jess and anyone would be lucky to have her in their organization.
Audra Miller (she/her), Former Parent & Caregiver (PCNet) Chair
My name is Audra Miller. I worked as a Senior Admissions Counselor for 2U, in addition to serving as the Global Chair for the PCNet Business Resource Network (BRN). During my year as Global Chair, I had the fortune and pleasure of working alongside Jess. I was always incredibly impressed with Jess' leadership skills. As Global Chair of the 2U BRN, 2Q, Jess was always planning new events, delegating responsibilities to others in her leadership team, and bringing to light areas within our company where we could shine a brighter light on diversity, equity, and inclusion intiatives. Jess often provided information for newer BRN Chairs, and was the driver behind many collaborative BRN initiatives.
Jess' communication skills are impeccable. Her ability to communicate in many ways efficiently, succinctly, and with tact was an asset. During some challenging times we found ourselves as Global Chairs needing to communicate with those in leadership positions within our company. Our approach needed to be carefully considered. Jess was always the one to draft or help edit emails, documents, or even drafts of talking points to use during one on one meetings.
Jess always was inspiring everyone within our global 2U community to have fun! Jess was always participating in company activities. Our Halloween Zoom meetings would always have a smiling Jess in full costume. Jess was always building community around finding times to let loose and enjoy the moments our company would put together for us to meet up, laugh, be fun, and have fun!
It is with 100% confidence, respect, and admiration that I recommend Jess M. Samuels. She posseses unique leadership skills that bring everyone together for a common good. It inspires people to work together to keep searching for opportunities to lean in, to grow, to be productive, and to be creative. Anyone would be lucky to have Jess as a part of their work community.
Tania Contreras Morales (she/her), Tugente (Latinx/ae) Network Chair
Jess and I worked together on DEI efforts through our work in the Business Resources Networking space at 2U edX. During our collaboration Jess was always the leading force when it came to addressing gaps around process and employee visibility. I highly recommend Jess Samuels as she is dedicated and willing to put in the time and effort needed to create positive change in a company.
Bannon Puckett (he/him), 2Q LGBTQIA+ Global Communications Chair
Jess not only exemplifies a leader who knows how to strike that rare balance of directing vs. encouraging vs. delegating vs. inspiring. She is also incredibly persistent in the way she tracks down the information she needs, establishes order from chaos, and cultivates opportunities to collaborate. She is a ghost who knows how to effortlessly move through brick walls and get things done. I was one of many, many people across the company who voted Jess to win a “Be Bold And Fearless” Award, and I can’t think of a more deserving recipient. With her disarming nature, calm demeanor, and passion-fueled superpowers in diversity & inclusion, she will always step up, fight for what’s right, advocate for her people, and keep creatively problem-solving all along the way.
Brent Bray (he/him), 2Q LGBTQIA+ Global Communications Chair
To work with Jess Samuels has been an honour. We are often judged by what we leave behind. In Jess’ case, it’s a series of distraught colleagues who miss her dearly. She is the type of colleague you want when things get hard, when things get complicated, and most importantly when the details matter.
I’ve worked with her for many years now and can attest to the impact she has on organizations. Her ability to navigate complex systems, organizations, and personalities is unmatched. Her steadfastness in the face of setbacks and strategy to overcome obstacles make her an asset to any organization.
Jess invests in the people and culture of work to make the organization better.
Steve Jenks (he/him), Former 2Q LGBTQIA+ Global Treasurer
I had the pleasure of working with Jess at 2U as a fellow member and eventual executive board member of 2Q, the business resource network for employees in the LGBTQIA+ community. Though we did not work together in our official capacities, we spent a significant amount of time together planning and executing social, professional development, and educational events for all employees. As the Global Chair, Jess was a supportive leader, constantly checking with the team to make sure we had the resources we need to be successful while also being mindful of our bandwidth as volunteer leaders. Jess leads with a positive personality that is difficult to top, even during challenging situations. Any team would be lucky to have Jess as a leader, given her extensive experience in project management, client relations, and interpersonal excellence.
Michael McPhee (he/him), 2Q LGBTQIA+ Global Treasurer
Jess is a champion of DEI efforts. She has great ability to work across different teams in an organization to make sure that all voices are heard and that folks see through commitments that make for more inclusive environments. In my time working with Jess through our Business Resource Networks (BRN) she became a leader of initiatives, managed a diverse board, created opportunities for involvement, and followed through on projects to make sure the objectives of the BRN were met.
Shana Pike (she/her), 2Q LGBTQIA+ Global Education Chair
It was a true pleasure to work with Jess as much as I did. She is a fearless leader who is always ready to lean in and help wherever she can. Her organizational skills are unmatched and she was the glue that kept our team together, focused, functioning efficiently, and working towards long-term goals. She always went above and beyond and put her heart into everything she did. I know she will be an amazing addition to any team and am confident in her ability to make a profound positive impact anywhere she goes!
Poornima Sewak, 2Q BRN Leadership Member
Jess is a wonderful person, who I have known for about a 3 year now. I got a chance to work with her when we both volunteered to be in LGBTQA+ committee for 2U. She has an empathy for the needs of others that is really inspiring, and she always has an open ear for your problems. She's also always ready to help in any way possible.
She is organized, encouraging and great at bringing people together. She is a great leader and helps me whenever I need it, for which, I am very grateful.
She never gives up or lets things get her down, even when there are challenges—she just keeps moving forward. This attitude always inspires me. I learned a lot from her. Any Organization would be lucky to have Jess. I highly recommend her.
Jess Lee (she/her), DEI Lead Learning & Development Facilitator
Jess is a leader whose impact consistently goes beyond the “boundaries” of a job description. As colleagues and collaborators, the strengths that I see from Jess on a consistent basis are inclusion, organization, commitment to learning, and a connector of dots. In a time of disruption at our organization, Jess moved to action to design a series for employees that provided desperately needed information and connection. Not many people navigate change and ambiguity with a lens on helping others, but Jess did. I cannot recommend strongly enough that you work with Jess.
Xan Griepenburg, 2Q Member
Jess was one of the true company community leaders at 2U during her time there. She went above and beyond her regular job duties to create a sense of inclusion and connection across the entire company. During the pandemic, the events she organized to meet and work together greatly increased my sense of connection to my fellow employees across the business in the 2Q special interest group.
Jess is a great communicator, brings endless positive energy, and has the skill to facilitate meaningful connection in an incredibly diverse workplace. If you're looking for someone who can not only "do all the things", but make everyone around them better, Jess is exactly the kind of contributor you want on your team.
Tatiana Alcocer (she/her), 2Q Member
I highly recommend Jess for her exceptional leadership skills and unwavering commitment to building strong and inclusive communities. As Global Chair for the 2Q Business Resource Network and in all her work throughout her time at 2U, she drove meaningful change with compassion and integrity. She was a true linchpin in the organization!
Jess is the perfect example of a leader with conviction, always striving to create a positive impact in everything she does. Her focus on community building is truly impressive, and she goes above and beyond to ensure that everyone is genuinely included and valued. It has always been an absolute pleasure to work with Jess and I am confident that she will continue to drive positive change in the future.
Brett Wellman (he/him), 2Q Member
Jess is a leader among leaders and one of the most dedicated and outgoing colleagues I have worked with over years. Her commitment and passion to diversity, equity, and inclusion stands above others and provides positive change to professional and personal cultures. One of the qualities about working with Jess that stands out to me is her excitement. Excitement to help others, excitement in projects and initiatives, and excitement in developing genuine relationships with colleagues and partners.
Erika Franz (s/he, hi/hers), 2Q Member
Jess is organized, works beyond expectations, and was integral in developing cross communications with DEI initiatives at a company that has struggled to make meaningful change. Her talents extend well beyond her job description. Would highly recommend Jess as any organization would be lucky to have her.
Kris Hatcher (he/him), 2Q Member
Working with Jess in one of 2U's Business Resource Networks, 2Q, was a pleasure! Jess brings her full self to everything she does, always making sure that everyone feels welcome and is engaged in the process. I would be thrilled to work with her in any context in the future!
Reese Jordan (she/her),
Former Trilogy Education Services Equality, Diversity, Inclusion Team (E.D.I.T.) chair
I have always been in awe of Jess' ability to juggle, pivot and adapt to projects when needed. Whenever there was a gap in technical skills on the team, you can expect Jess to come to the rescue. She is a genius designer, a dependable team mate and trustworthy leader.
Ricky Ocampo, MBA, BRN Member
Jess is a skilled people manager + collaborator. Her dedication to diversity, equity, and inclusion is unmatched.
Julia Ring (she/her), BRN Leader
I was fortunate enough to cross paths with Jess through DEI initiatives at 2U. Time and time again, Jess proved herself to be a fierce advocate and ally for various minority groups. From afar, I admired how Jess deftly managed relationships with a host of individuals at the company. Jess, more than anyone else with whom I have ever worked, perfectly demonstrated how fun and professionalism can be intertwined for greater success. I highly recommend Jess and can say with confidence that any company would be lucky to have her.
Jenny Wilder, BRN Leader
Jess and I worked on different Business Resource Networks as well as across the same Boot Camp products. Jess is an empathetic, highly motivated leader. Whether it be standing up for what's right through the work on the Business Resource Network or helping those that were laid off by creating a list of companies and individuals to network with Jess is always ready to do whatever it takes to show servant leadership at its best. Any team would be lucky to have Jess.
No Back Row Award Winner
Employees are nominated by their peers for epitomizing one of 2U’s Guiding Principles.
Guiding Principle:
Be bold and fearless
My Community
Andreia Ieva, MSW (she/her), edX/2U Sr. Student Success Rotational Manager
To say that Jess is brilliant is an understatement. She was a prominent leader at 2U and made an impact everywhere. Whether it was leading a Business Resource Network, a book club or a team, she did it with pride, compassion and an energy that is unmatched.
She was nominated for multiple 'No Back Row' Awards for good measure! There aren't enough words to describe the impact that Jess has made at 2U, but these are a start. She was the winner for the 'Be Bold and Fearless' 'No Back Row' Award and a finalist for the 'Have Fun'. Jess is one of the boldest and fearless leaders I know and any team will be lucky to have to her.
Lillie Marshall, Writer, Blogger, Artist, Reiki Practitioner
Jess is an absolute delight to work with. She brings brilliance, efficiency, quality, innovation, and productivity — all with the most genuinely positive energy I have ever seen. I have worked with her in three very different capacities over the years, and each time have been bowled over by her creativity, dedication, work ethic, and ability to bring people together and inspire — plus make them smile. Any organization or person that gets to work with her is extremely lucky!
“Jess was a supervisor I could trust, and she was the type of manager that doesn't just give directions - she knows the work and will work hard alongside her team. ”
Aliza Greenberg, Former Residence Director,
Simmons University
Director of Residence Life, Simmons University
Jennifer Doebler, MBA, MA, Former Assistant Director of Residence Life
Current: Functional Consultant, Workday
Jess is the ultimate problem solver—logical, data-driven, determined. There is no roadblock Jess cannot overcome with her extremely creative mindset and her years of experience exceeding all goals.
Working with Jess means knowing something unique, inspiring, and innovative is about to take shape—something her supervisees appreciated as well as her colleagues. Jess does not settle for the status quo; improving and developing new ways of making things more effective and efficient are hallmarks of her working style. She can challenge the ways things have always been done and communicate the hows and whys of change, ensuring everyone can get on board within the organization. Jess’ ability to get buy-in from a wide range of stakeholders shows that flexible and professional communication style I always valued when working with Jess.
Anyone looking for a strong supervisor, a multi-faceted project manager, and a customer service guru could do no better than Jess. I cannot recommend her, from work ethic to work outcomes, enough!
Aliza Greenberg (she/her), Former Residence Director
Current: Operations and Program Manager, REDI
Jess was initially my colleague and then my direct supervisor when I worked at Simmons College, and I cannot overstate her thoughtfulness, generosity in time/learning/compassion, critical and innovative thinking, and joyful spirit. She was an honest and consistent supervisor - she was clear and fair about what I should/could work on and how to do so, and she was clear and kind and publicly supportive in my successes. Jess was a supervisor I could trust, and she was the type of manager that doesn't just give directions - she knows the work and will work hard alongside her team. Jess is someone I would gladly work alongside or for anytime, and as a person, she's genuine and talented, and a true gem.
John Robert O’Connor (he/him), Former Residence Life Coordinator
Current: Director of Orientation and First Year Experience, Univ. of Southern Maine
I worked with Jess for 2 years and came to appreciate her skill with Technology. Jess was always looking for the next best technology or software innovation which would let our department run more efficiently - she was always great at identifying free online tools that we could use to work smarter, not harder. She has an excellent ability to teach others about technology and is passionate about sharing her knowledge with others. I took much of what I learned from Jess into my subsequent jobs and often was on the cutting edge of technology beacuse of the foundation that Jess helped me to build. Overall Jess is a great person to work with and I'd highly recommend her, especially related to technology!
Celia Steigerwald (she/her), Former Head Office Assistant
Current: Executive Assistant to Todd Buterbaugh Companies
At her core, Jess is a person that loves to learn and cares a great deal about people and process. I had the pleasure of working for Jess at the Office of Residence Life at Simmons as Office Assistant and later Head Office Assistant for three and a half years during my undergraduate education. Our team was small at the Office of Residence Life during my time, but Jess created an efficient team and fostered a positive culture of teamwork and fun, even when our jobs were stressful. I learned so much about working in an office environment from Jess, something that was key to my later success as an Executive Assistant in corporate settings. She was my go-to person with any question regarding technology (she is an Excel wiz) or anything data-related.
Jess was also open to new ideas and where we could make improvements to procedures and culture, and always made sure we were on track to provide a seamless experience for the residents on campus. Jess is great at getting things done and is always driving things forward even in a higher education setting where things can take longer than in the corporate world. On top of that, Jess always remembers the people who have worked for her and doesn't hesitate to help anyone with their goals - whether to act as a sounding board, give advice, or advocate for them. Jess is successful at anything she puts her mind to, and any employee would be lucky to have her as their manager.
Shelby Small, Former Desk Attendant
Current: Registered Nurse, Brigham and Women's Hospital
Jess was the Director of Residence Life at Simmons University while I was an office assistant during my first two years of undergrad. This was my first position in an office, and Jess was an enormous help with learning excel and other programs I needed to be successful in this position. She is creative and detail-oriented- one of my projects with Jess was the weekly campus newsletter. It always included good design to catch the reader's eye, but was also meticulously reviewed for content and formatting prior to sending. Overall, Jess created a supportive work environment for someone new to office positions, helping me and other OAs learn in our positions.