Jessie Ben-Ami

Jessie is a Senior Innovation Consultant with a particular interest in how conflict within services can be a strong indicator of current challenges, a catalyst for change and the discovery of new solutions. She is an experienced facilitator, researcher, intervention and conflict curriculum designer.

Jessie is currently leading work to improve the outcomes of care leavers in the prison system. This Barrow Cadbury funded work will draw on Innovation Unit’s insights gained during the scoping phase of the project. These insights will be further explored through a series of workshops with key stakeholders, leading to the co-design of a new service model for care leavers before, during and after they leave the prison system. Once this model has been designed it will tested at a pilot site to ensure it is robust and fit for purpose.

Jessie’s professional background is in the design and delivery of interventions for young people for whom conflict has become a destructive force. She began working with young people in the United States and remained in a youth facing role for the first 15 years of her career. Her role prior to joining IU was Director of Innovation and Impact at Leap Confronting Conflict. During her time at Leap she pioneered an approach which sought to explore the importance of maintaining the friendships often afforded by gang membership whilst supporting young people to make better choices about group offending.

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