Jess MacFarlane, MPH is a Senior Consultant and expert facilitator. Her mission is to build racial literacy and promote action among those who are committed to equity but are unsure about next steps. Jess’ specific purpose is to mobilize white people in the collective process of unlearning, skills-building, and active anti-racism. Jess’ primary services include organizational assessments and equity audits, workshop facilitation, and coaching.

Since 2015, Jess has worked across a range of fields, including healthcare, education, the criminal legal system, and media, equipping individuals, and institutions with the tools to live out their values of equity and belonging. Throughout her career, Jess has used research to drive equity. Her published research spans social psychology, behavioral HIV prevention, and harm reduction. Previously, Jess was a Core Team member of Perception Institute, a non-profit consortium of researchers and strategists who use the brain science of identity to reduce discrimination, concluding her time there as Deputy Director of Research and Assessment.

Jess holds a Master of Public Health (MPH) with a certificate in Social Determinants of Health from Columbia University and a BA in Psychology and Spanish from Duke University. The focus of her graduate studies was examining the root cause of racial disparities in health in the United States. Born and raised in Los Angeles, she currently lives with her partner and dog in Durham, NC.