Jessica Smith is a thought leader in Industry Education. She has worked for fifteen years as a Higher Education Educator at Columbia University, Portland State University, and University California Los Angeles, and as a Global Leader in University Relations and Early Career programs for fortune 100 companies. In 2020 she co-founded an industry first education to career pathway platform S.E.E.D., School for Experiential Education in Design. S.E.E.D. is a two-year college alternative program which removes barriers and promotes a pathway for women of color in footwear design.

Jessica has also held roles in corporate strategy, organizational transformation, and building diverse high performing global teams. Most recently Jessica founded her own venture i.e., Industry Education, an apprenticeship network with leading corporations that enables diverse creatives an accessible pathway to turn their dreams into meaningful professional careers.