Jessica Montoya Coggins is the Founder and CEO of JMC Strategy Group, a communications and advocacy firm. Before starting the firm, Jessica was the Digital Writer and Digital Director of North Carolina at the For Our Future PAC and Action Fund, a groundbreaking progressive organization that focused on empowering people and community-based partners through a dynamic field and digital organization plan. Jessica is also a successful journalist and writer. She has authored numerous stories for NBC News Digital on politics, culture, education, and the economy. In 2015 she was invited by the White House to cover the inaugural “Beating the Odds Summit” hosted by First Lady Michelle Obama for first-generation Black and Latino college students. Additionally, Jessica has been a contributor at a number of diverse publications, including Jezebel, Salon, The Women’s Media Center, and Latino Magazine. Jessica has extensive experience in corporate communications. She was a Public Relations Associate for Union Square Hospitality Group, one of the largest and most celebrated restaurant groups in the United States. Jessica has a B.A. in English Language and Literature from Harvard University. She considers Jean-Luc Picard from Star Trek: Enterprise to be her (fictional) mentor.