Jess Skylar Email & Phone Number

United States

Founded Helia Collective to bring together great people and innovative practices to help organizations scale with purpose. Whether it’s leadership development or operational strategy, Helia takes big ideas and turns them into tangible results.

I’m honored to be a part of TOU's field-building strategy. Through this fellowship, TOU is investing in my launching of the Helia Collective to strengthen and support organizations across the ecosystem. My goal - help amazing orgs doing amazing work, directly in AND interconnected with child welfare, to align their vision with action and drive meaningful, sustainable change.

At Think of Us, I co-led the organization alongside founder Sixto Cancel, helping grow the team by 750% and raising over $70M to drive systemic change in child welfare. We built the largest dataset of current and former foster youth, supported 44 states in distributing $30M in pandemic relief, and launched innovative initiatives like Virtual Support Services and the Center for Lived Experience to empower those directly impacted.

Guidewheel (previously Safi) uses real-time machine monitoring to improve OEE and increase production capacity to help factories achieve peak performance, driving impact for their business and for the planet.Lead top-line revenue + business operations for seed stage global software company focused on factory digitization (industry 4.0). Achieved 300+% growth and expanded across Africa, Mexico + USA.

Playworks is changing the way children experience school every day by leveraging the power of safe and healthy play. Tenure characterized as "thinking differently" - brought on to restructure $35M business. Role included P+L ownership and national team of 4 Executive Team members, 600+ employees and 23 offices reporting in.Reduced costs and increased growth margins while positioning the organization for a turnaround, closing $2+M operating deficit in less than 12 months to support Playworks AIM, an effort to bring safe and healthy play to 3.5 million children and 7,000 elementary schools nationwide.

Revolution Foods designs and produces over 500 million meals for schools, seniors and communities nationwide. With over 1K employees in six Culinary Centers around the country, Rev Foods is transforming citywide wellness by making healthy food accessible to all and was ranked the #1 healthiest school meal provider out of all companies studied in the competitive landscape.Promoted three times into general management over seven years - part of core team responsible for growing the company by 950% ($14M to $170M) and expanding into 23 states over six plus years including key partnerships with San Francisco Unified, Boston Public Schools, Chicago Food Bank, the City of Oakland and the City of Richmond. Lead negotiations with school boards, municipalities, non-profits and charter schools; worked closely with unions to implement successful service in school districts nationally. Built + managed sales + account team of 70+ team members with responsibility for establishing new territories and sales channels. Expanded to serve ~300 million healthy meals to schools and cities in 23 states across the nation during. Exceeded quotas year over year - increasing top line revenue, retention rates and growth margins consistently.

Wardrobe for Opportunity works in partnership with the community to assist low-income individuals in their efforts to Find a Job, Keep a Job, and Build a Career.Managed team of 8 employees and over 100 volunteers focused on Bay Area workforce development. Forged over 200 partnerships across the for-profit and nonprofit sectors, increasing earned income from 5% to 34% of budget in two years.

San Francisco Bay Area

HIP Investor (Human Impact + Profit) introduced a systematic approach for investors that is designed for more attractive profits and positive human, social, and environmental impact. Based on comprehensive research of the S&P 500, HIP assesses and values measurable results.Owned growth and business strategy for one of the first ever impact investing firms, growing team from 1 to 12. Co-Author of The HIP Investor (published in 2010 by John Wiley and Sons). Generated and sold ground-breaking investment portfolios based on proprietary scorecards.

San Francisco Bay Area

Led economic development programs and fundraising focused on ensuring job retention and advancement for low-income employees, forging partnerships across the for-profit and nonprofitsectors.

Washington Dc-Baltimore Area

Ashoka, one of the founders of the social entrepreneurship movement, selects world-class social entrepreneurs who are leading the way to an everyone-a-changemaker world. Working with US and Development teams to expand impact internationally including electing over 40 US Fellows and leading national events (advocacy, education and fundraising).

Washington D.C. Metro Area

CDC specializes in communication for and about development. Supported the work, acting as a bridge between the private and public sectors with communication strategies to address social issues, in a variety of functions including analysis and administration. Clients included the United Nations, the World Bank and International Labor Organization.

Ma, International Peace And Conflict Resolution

Ba, International Development, Interdisciplinary Study (Communication/Law/Economics/Government

Education record