We’re thrilled to announce that our Executive Director, Jessica Hansen, has been honored with the prestigious Human Rights Award at the Women Changing the World Awards in London on April 3.
Hosted by Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York; Dr. Tererai Trent, Oprah Winfrey’s all-time favorite guest; and sisters Peace Mitchell & Katy Garner, this event recognizes extraordinary women who are leading meaningful change in fields like sustainability, humanitarian work, advocacy, and innovation.
Jessica’s journey is a powerful testament to what bold leadership, compassion, and vision can achieve.
Over the past 20+ years, Jessica has:
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- Resettled more than 11,000 refugees across 108 cities in the United States, and worked on gender-based violence prevention and anti-human trafficking work for organizations like UNHCR, the Women’s Refugee Commission, and the International Rescue Committee
- Launched and scaled education and literacy programs in rural Africa alongside local educators
- Created and led internationally award-winning education and social impact campaigns at organizations like Kiva, Lyft, and Twilio.org
- Built impact programs recognized in major outlets like Oprah Magazine, USA Today, and People
Since joining Alliance for Smiles, Jessica has led the organization to undertake medical missions across Africa, Asia, and the Americas. Altogether, the organization has provided more than 9,000 free cleft surgeries to children in underserved communities around the world. But her work doesn’t stop there. She’s also training and equipping local medical teams to sustainably provide long-term cleft care and improve access of wider communities to the quality healthcare they need and deserve.
Outside of AfS, Jessica continues to make a global impact through her board work with West African Volunteer Organization (WAVO) focused on protecting, educating and empowering young people in Ghana, and through Mystopia, which helps create safe spaces for the LGBTQIA+ community in the States. She also hosts The HumanKind Project podcast, volunteers her time to community projects and global polio prevention campaigns through the Rotary Club of San Francisco, and more, as part of her deep commitment to equity, healthcare access, and human rights.
We couldn’t be prouder to see Jessica recognized on the world stage. Her leadership reminds us that real change happens when compassion meets action.
