Jessica Hooton
About Jessica Hooton
Jessica Hooton serves as the Chief of Staff at Karat, bringing extensive experience from her previous roles at Microsoft and Teach For America. Her background in journalism and education informs her leadership style, which emphasizes listening and empathy.
Current Role at Karat
Jessica Hooton serves as Chief Of Staff at Karat since 2022. In this role, she is responsible for supporting the executive team and ensuring effective communication across departments. Her leadership style is influenced by her background in journalism and education, which emphasizes listening and empathy. She thrives in fast-paced environments and focuses on collaboration to drive success within the organization.
Previous Experience at Microsoft
Jessica Hooton has extensive experience at Microsoft, where she held several key positions. From 2016 to 2018, she worked as Senior Manager in Business Strategy. Following this role, she served as Senior Manager of Executive Communications from 2018 to 2019. Most recently, she was the Director of Executive Customer Engagement from 2019 to 2022. Her roles at Microsoft were primarily based in the Greater Seattle Area.
Education and Academic Background
Jessica Hooton earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communication & Journalism from Santa Clara University. She furthered her education by obtaining a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Yale School of Management, where she studied from 2013 to 2015. Her academic background has provided her with a strong foundation in communication and business strategy.
Experience in Education and Nonprofit Sectors
Before her tenure at Microsoft, Jessica Hooton worked in the education sector. She was a Teacher at Denver Public Schools from 2007 to 2009 and served as a Corps Member for Teach For America during the same period. Later, she held the position of Director of Growth Strategy & Development for Corporate and Foundation Giving at Teach For America from 2009 to 2013. This experience has contributed to her understanding of nonprofit management and educational initiatives.
Cross-Industry Experience
Jessica Hooton has a diverse professional background that spans technology, venture capital, education, and nonprofit management. She briefly worked as an MBA Summer Associate at DBL Partners in 2014. Her cross-industry experience allows her to approach challenges with a unique perspective, particularly in using technology to drive social change.