About
Jess Solomon, MSOD (she/her)
Jess Solomon is an interdisciplinary facilitator, organizational development practitioner, and coach who guides changemakers and progressive cultural and philanthropic organizations toward deeper cultural alignment, strategic growth, and meaningful impact. She challenges the status quo by using evidence-based strategies and an aesthetics mindset to help groups “compost” what no longer serves a purpose into something generative and future-focused—allowing new practices, structures, and systems to take root and flourish.
Through her organization development firm, Art in Praxis, Jess has collaborated with groups such as Threewalls, Black Women’s Health Imperative, Common Future, Borealis Philanthropy, Afro Charities, Emergent Fund, National Arts Strategies, and Rap Research Lab. Notably, in 2021, she led the Community Infrastructure Fund for Mutual Aid (CIFMA) at Omidyar Network, supporting 24 high-impact mutual aid projects across the U.S. with catalytic grants ranging from $15,000 to $25,000. This investment boosted “mutual aid infrastructure”—the resources and tools enabling communities to voluntarily care for one another for their mutual benefit. From 2022 to 2024, Jess also facilitated the administration of $1.2 million in unrestricted, general operating support to 30 historically underfunded and underacknowledged cultural workers, cultural organizers, and arts organizations in the Bay Area, in collaboration with the Bay Area Cultural Funders for Equity (BACFE).
Her expertise spans higher education, arts administration, curatorial practice, philanthropy, and social entrepreneurship. Some of her past roles include Board President of Alternate ROOTS, Chief Weaver of Social Fabric at the U.S. Department of Arts and Culture, and Vice President of the Robert W. Deutsch Foundation—where she advanced place-based cultural and economic justice in Baltimore. As Co-Chair of Mayor Brandon Scott’s 2020 Baltimore Arts and Culture Transition Committee, Jess spearheaded a community-wide campaign to gather visions for fully and responsibly integrating arts and culture into public life. This collaborative effort—driven by diverse stakeholder interviews, digital surveys, and a citywide text/voicemail campaign—generated actionable recommendations for the Mayor’s first term and continues to influence policy initiatives in his second. In addition, she has served on grants panels for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), MAP Fund, the Diverse City Fund, and the Maryland State Arts Council, helping resource daring cultural projects.
Bringing humor into facilitation is another signature of Jess’s style. A comedy enthusiast, she learned firsthand how rare it is to find stand-up spaces that center Black, feminist, queer, and neurodivergent perspectives. In response, she founded Mabley Comedy Club, named for the legendary Moms Mabley, where emerging comedians hone their comedic voices. This ever-expanding community of practice exemplifies Jess’s commitment to cultural experimentation and joy as catalysts for deeper connection and social change.
Jess earned a B.A. in Communication Studies and African American Studies from the University of Maryland, College Park, and an M.S. in Organization Development from American University. She serves on the board of the Valerie J. Maynard Foundation and is a founding member of Lalibela Baltimore, a site for Black imagination and the production of cinema, technology, art, and healing. She is also a certified healing-centered coach (IFC) and a contributor to Aesthetic Perspectives, a dynamic, nationally recognized evaluation framework for socially engaged art used by public funders, curators, artists, and educators. Jess is visiting faculty in the Curatorial Practice graduate program at Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA). Moreover, she has held fellowships with National Arts Strategies, the Salzburg Global Forum, Grantmakers for Effective Organizations, and Leadership Baltimore.
She welcomes opportunities to learn about and contribute to projects that prioritize and value meaningful, creative, and equitable change. Contact.
STRENGTHSFINDER TOP 5: Strategic, Connectedness, Maximizer, Activator, Empathy
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STRENGTHSFINDER TOP 5: Strategic, Connectedness, Maximizer, Activator, Empathy 〰️
Guiding Principles
These are some principles that guide my work.
I am deeply grateful to the guides, friends, colleagues and organizations across time and space that have inspired these.
Culture is the Salt in the Stew: Culture is the tangible materials, shared beliefs, and social practices that shape how we express ourselves, view the world, mobilize, relate, and lead. We each hold the power—and responsibility—to nurture the culture of our organizations and communities in positive ways.
Creativity is the Compass: Envisioning, designing, and building a future that is radically better than what might otherwise exist demands risk-taking, unconventional connections, and imagination.
From Margin to Center: We commit to creating spaces that honor us all - through intersectional, liberatory, and joyous design - as a strategy to disrupt systemic inequities.
Remembering is Innovation, Too: Creating something lasting and meaningful is also a chance for legacy-building by celebrating and incorporating what has worked in the past.
We are Spiraling: Change and growth are cyclical and spiral in nature. With each turn, as we integrate the lessons learned, we grow awareness and understanding.
There’s a Journey from A to B: The process is as valuable as the outcome. Thoughtfully developed processes build strong, adaptable foundations that support lasting success.
Know Your Roles: As a Weaver and Builder in the Social Change Ecosystem, I connect people, ideas, and resources to create something larger than ourselves.
Testimonials
“Jess Solomon’s facilitation of our leadership retreat was transformative for Baltimore Public Media. Her guidance helped us gain crucial clarity and alignment as we plan for the future. The exercises revealed important areas where we can grow and improve as a team. Her thoughtful recommendations have already given us a clear path forward, and her impact on our leadership team was deeply appreciated. ”
“Incredible facilitation and thought leadership! Jessica and Art in Praxis are developing emerging projects that are shifting the philanthropic landscape.”
“Jess helped us zoom out to expand our visions and zoom into the nitty gritty necessary to implement those visions. She brought a sense of joy and ease to complex and sometimes difficult questions, and as a result, we were able to untangle the knots and strengthen new muscles together. ”
“Just wow. Our collective was blown away by how in such a short period of time, our understanding of each other deepened and our shared histories and vision became super clear. Using music, storytelling, visioning, and inquiry, Jess led us into a new scope of big and scary work together, without leaving us feeling overwhelmed or uncertain. Jess brought tools, frameworks, love, and joy that was just unmatched.””
Creative Works in Progress
Still image from The Bridge. 2024.
The Bridge (Work in Progress)
The Bridge - a short film adaptation of The Bridge Poem (1981) by Donna Kate Rushin, captures the isolation and complexity of navigating the intersections of being Black and woman. Originally published in This Bridge Called My Back anthology, the poem resonates deeply in both historical and contemporary contexts. The film illustrates these themes in a present day context.
Mabley Comedy Club
Mabley Comedy Club is a cozy, cutesy, and mindful book club for comedians and funny folks looking to refine their comedic voice. Together, we create a supportive space to learn, craft material, and develop our unique comedic personas—all while sharing laughs and nurturing new ideas to delight each other and our communities.
We proudly center the voices of Black, feminist, queer, neuro-divergent, and face mask-friendly folks, honoring the legacy of our namesake, the legendary Moms Mabley. A trailblazing performer, activist, and the first successful female comedian, Moms Mabley inspires us to be genre-defying, bold, and unapologetically ourselves.
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