Jen is also the co-founder and former Creative Director of an award-winning music and photography studio that served a global student base for over a decade. Under her leadership, the program expanded both in-person and online, while maintaining a strong focus on cultural preservation through immersive offerings where students learned traditional music through lived experience rather than written instruction.

Her career began in community-focused roles, including developing arts programming for survivors of domestic violence in Alaska and serving as an AmeriCorps VISTA, where she built a grant-funded computer arts lab for underserved youth. Throughout her work, she has consistently created opportunities for those who might not otherwise have access to the arts, including founding scholarship programs, organizing community drives, and forging partnerships with local organizations.

Jen’s work is also deeply rooted in social justice and advocacy. In the 1990s, she collaborated with grassroots organizations focused on equity, access, and community empowerment; experiences that continue to shape her approach to inclusive programming today. She is the author of Spill It, a work reflecting on the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and its lasting human and environmental impact. Earlier in her career, she also worked in security for Nelson Mandela during his U.S. tour following his release from prison, an experience that further reinforced her lifelong commitment to justice, resilience, and collective care.

In addition to her work in the arts, Jen has pursued interdisciplinary studies that inform her holistic approach to teaching and creativity. She studied hypnotherapy in childbirth under Jessica Porter, trained as a water birth doula with Michel Odent, is certified in plant medicine through Cornell University, and studied psychobiology at Simmons College. These experiences deepen her understanding of the mind-body connection, intuitive learning, and the role of environment in human development.

Jen’s contributions to the arts have been recognized nationally. She is a recipient of the Rasmusson Foundation Emerging Artist Award, and her work has been featured on NPR’s This American Life. She has also been honored with Best Music School by the Times of Acadiana and the ArtSpark Award from the Acadiana Center for the Arts.

Jen’s work continues to evolve as she shares insights at the intersection of creativity, natural living, and lived experience. Through platforms like TikTok, she creates content that explores topics ranging from burnout recovery and plant-based wellness to intuitive living and cultural reflection. Her work has cultivated a dedicated and engaged audience, allowing her to extend her impact beyond the classroom and into a global digital community, where education, storytelling, and connection meet in real time.

At the heart of everything she creates is a simple belief: everyone deserves a space to explore, express, and belong.