Stories shape us. Jessica nurtures, curates, and crafts them with care.
Whether through her work in public radio, co-founding Rococo Punch, or guiding leaders in telling their own stories, Jessica believes that the best stories don't just inform--they transform.
Writing & Reporting
River Road
In season three of the award-winning The Turning series, we explore another insular community. When Lindsay Tornambe was 13 years old, she was chosen by the leader of her family’s commune for a special role. She became one of the youngest maidens of the River Road Fellowship in rural Minnesota, and at the time, she didn’t know what that really meant for her. After a ritualistic ceremony that married her and other girls in the group to their adult leader, she endured more than a decade of mental and physical abuse hidden from outsiders.
But when Lindsay and a friend decided to escape, they became the whistleblowers that prompted an international manhunt in 2014 that would bring the entire cult crumbling to the ground.
Inconceivable Truth
Investigative reporter Matt Katz has been searching for his biological father since he was a little kid. But it wasn't until his 40s that he realized he was on the wrong journey altogether. The true story is wrapped in confusion and secrecy, and in the end, it upended the truth about who he is – raising questions about identity, fatherhood, medical ethics and what family really means. But will finding answers make him whole, or just make things even more complicated? Produced in partnership with Wavland.
Room Of Mirrors
In season two of the award-winning The Turning series, we look at another insular community. In every ballet studio, there is a wall of mirrors. It reflects the people within. They’re part of a closed, elite group that asks for sacrifice and devotion from its members. It produces iconic artists. It’s founded on a strict power structure, often with one man at the top. By tracing the origins of this unusual lifestyle, starting with the legacy of choreographer George Balanchine and the intimate stories of young dancers, we expose the beauty of an artform and the complexity of ballet culture.
Best of 2023 New York Times | Best Podcast of 2023 The Atlantic | The New Yorker | The Washington Post | The Guardian
LISTEN: iHeartRadio | Apple | Spotify
Welcome To Provincetown
Venture into Provincetown, Massachusetts, a two-street beach town at the end of a sand spit, and meet the fascinating people who live there. Welcome to Provincetown encapsulates stories of artistry, sensuality, solitude, and serendipity. Listen to the sounds of hopes and dreams being carried through the summer breeze, the feeling of letting go, and the feeling of going all in. This is a place where you can find yourself or lose yourself. A co-production with Room Tone.
Best of 2022 New York Times | Best of 2022 Vulture | Best of 2022 HuffPost | 2022 Signal Awards
Podcast Production & Consulting
Leadership Storytelling & Coaching
Speaking & Workshops
Features and Oral History
