Leading at the intersection of philanthropy, technology, & civil society
Over the last twenty years in Silicon Valley I’ve served as a teacher, an academic, a policy advocate, an editor, a grantmaker, a board member, and a leader in philanthropy.
I fight for equity, accountability, and the serial comma.
Contact: jessica dot weare at gmail dot com
Speaking engagements
Silicon Valley Business Journal Corporate Philanthropy Awards 2023
National Association of Charitable Gift Planners 2022
Silicon Valley and the Fourth Industrial Revolution, State of the Valley
Corporate Social Responsibility field analysis with the Stanford Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society for a delegation from the China Global Philanthropy Institute
Awards and Recognition
Young American Leaders Program, Harvard Business School, 2019
Tribute to Women, YWCA Silicon Valley, 2018
American Leadership Forum fellow, 2017-18
Woman of Influence, Silicon Valley Business Journal, 2017
Andrew W. Mellon fellowship, Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation, 2003
Service
I recently joined the Board of Directors of Joint Venture Silicon Valley, a cross-sector organization dedicated to fostering the health and vitality of Silicon Valley.
Previously, I proudly served on the Board of Directors for California Humanities, the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. I served on the board of Silicon Valley Council of Nonprofits to support their efforts to strengthen the local nonprofit sector through capacity building, training, and political advocacy. I was also a member of United Way of the Bay Area's Public Policy Committee for five years, advocating in Sacramento and Washington, D.C.
Education
Yale University, B.A., English
Stanford University, Ph.D, English
Boston College, Corporate Citizenship Management certification
Stanford University d.school, Designing for Social Systems course
Profiles
Silicon Valley Business Journal (paywall)
Writing and Consulting
I’ve recently advised Project Liberty, Aspen Digital, and Board.dev on their respective strategies.
I've written about the civic technology ecosystem and Silicon Valley here.
In celebration of Women's History Month, I profiled civic leaders in San José here.
I've also written about cohort-based grantmaking with Silicon Valley Community Foundation and technology donations for nonprofits for Foundation Center.
I advised National Neighborhood Indicators Partnership’s Collaborating for 21st Century Solutions.
"You don’t necessarily have to do anything once you acknowledge your privilege. You don’t have to apologize for it. You need to understand the extent of your privilege, the consequences of your privilege, and remain aware that people who are different from you move through and experience the world in ways you might never know anything about. They might endure situations you can never know anything about.
You could, however, use that privilege for the greater good—to try to level the playing field for everyone, to work for social justice, to bring attention to how those without certain privileges are disenfranchised. We’ve seen what the hoarding of privilege has done, and the results are shameful."
Roxane Gay, Bad Feminist
Key Partners and Projects
