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Jessie F.

Community, Marketing, and Content leader thriving on strategy, data, and passion.

Jessie D'Amato Ford is a seasoned professional with over 18 years of global leadership experience, specializing in community development, program management, event coordination, and marketing and content strategy. Her expertise lies in driving substantial growth, fostering open innovation, and making impactful, data-driven decisions. Beyond her professional pursuits, Jessie is driven by a deep passion for meaningful work and a genuine desire to make a positive impact in the lives of others.

During her extensive tenure at Topcoder, Jessie held various leadership positions, orchestrating comprehensive global programs, educational and competitive events, and successful marketing campaigns. Her strategic efforts led to significant member growth and engagement, playing a crucial role in bridging the gap between product and community teams, facilitating effective communication, and guiding data-driven decision-making.

As the Director of Community Innovation at HeroX, Jessie spearheaded the implementation of a community data tracking system, significantly enhancing the organization's capability to measure and uplift community vibrancy.

Beyond her corporate roles, Jessie embarked on an entrepreneurial venture by founding The Brackets Club, a 501c3 nonprofit organization, in March 2021. Committed to supporting community freelancers in need, she skillfully manages a team of volunteers, resulting in the creation of valuable content, donations, and mentorship opportunities.

Jessie's contributions were recognized with the prestigious Wipro CTO Stalwart Award for Fiscal Year 2022, and she holds a certification in Open Innovation from Harvard Business School.

Known for her strategic planning and execution, community management and growth, innovative and creative thinking, data and analytical skills, and effective management and leadership, Jessie seamlessly combines technical expertise with soft skills like passion, empathy, and meticulous attention to detail.

Adaptable to remote and flexible work environments, Jessie thrives in a startup culture, unafraid to roll up her sleeves, wear multiple hats, and make a tangible difference. Her commitment to driving positive change is evident in both her professional achievements and her philanthropic endeavors.

Hailing from her home office on the shoreline of Connecticut, Jessie balances her professional pursuits with her role as a mom. She is also a proud volunteer in her local community.

Hire Jessie
Jessie F.

Work

New CS-STEM Community Built through Government Grant

cnbc.com
New CS-STEM Community Built through Government Grant

Sponsored by and developed in partnership with DARPA, the School of Code is a program of unique new science, technology, engineering and mathematics interactive lessons designed to introduce youngsters to coding in a fun and creative process.

B2B2C Sponsorship Marketing for Global Events

drive.google.com
B2B2C Sponsorship Marketing for Global Events
  • Created prospectus and corresponding social media, email, and promotions to drive sponsorships.
  • Worked with Fortune 500 businesses to secure sponsorships and collaborate during event.

MVP Program for Topcoder Community

topcoder.com
MVP Program for Topcoder Community
  • Created a MVP program at Topcoder.
  • Developed the branding, the program details, the rules, and carried out the MVP program execution.
  • Gave MVPs a voice in the community and leveraged their feedback for community improvements.

About Topcoder:

Topcoder is a crowdsourcing marketplace that connects businesses with hard-to-find expertise. The Topcoder Community includes more than one million of the world’s top designers, developers, data scientists, and algorithmists. Global enterprises and startups alike use Topcoder to accelerate innovation, solve challenging problems, and tap into specialized skills on demand.

Global Community Event Organizer

topcoder.com
Global Community Event Organizer
  • Executed the entire event from start to finish.
  • Developed the tournament website, branding, rules, structure.
  • Managed all the event marketing.
  • Handled the travel of over 100 people from 30 different countries to the events.
  • Working with many different vendors.
  • Point person for all things venue, catering, etc.
  • Organizing sponsorships.
  • Providing on the ground support throughout.

Experience

Feb 2021 — Present
the Brackets Club, Inc.

the Brackets Club, Inc.

Founder

The Brackets Club is a nonprofit organization dedicated to members of the freelancer community. We collect monetary donations to aid members in need during times of hardship. Freelancers supporting freelancers. Our goal is to positively impact the lives of freelancers and their families who are unable afford healthcare or insurance. Freelancers are the future of work and we all need to come together to support each other. The Brackets Club is run completely by volunteers so every donation goes directly to someone in need.

  • Have raised over $10,000 to date for freelancers in need.
Apr 2023 — Oct 2023
Herox

Herox

Director of Community Innovation

HeroX is a crowdsourcing platform that allows anyone in the global community to create a challenge or submit a solution to a posted challenge. We connect solvers with problems, and we believe that going to the global community can provide richer and broader solutions - beyond what your own network can provide.

  • Spearheaded the successful implementation of HeroX's inaugural community data tracking system, significantly enhancing the organization's capacity to measure and elevate community vibrancy.
  • Earned Harvard Business School certification in Open Innovation.
Apr 2005 — Jan 2023
Topcoder, a Wipro Company

Topcoder, a Wipro Company

Head of Community

Topcoder is a crowdsourcing marketplace that connects businesses with hard-to-find expertise. The Topcoder Community includes more than one million of the world’s top designers, developers, data scientists, and algorithmists. Global enterprises and startups alike use Topcoder to accelerate innovation, solve challenging problems, and tap into specialized skills on demand.

  • Earned four promotions during tenure
  • Earned the Wipro CTO Stalwart Award for Fiscal Year 2022
  • Engineered an extraordinary surge in community membership from 50,000 to an impressive 1.7 million, leveraging innovative marketing, program development, and compelling community opportunities.