about jessica
Jessica Ticktin is a bi-racial writer, audio storyteller, and public educator whose work explores how stories can bridge cultural, social, and racial divides. Across her work, she is drawn to questions of memory, identity, and repair—and to the ways storytelling can open space for connection, understanding, and healing.
Rooted in public media and community-based arts practice, Jessica approaches storytelling as both a creative and ethical act, grounded in deep listening—to individuals, families, and communities. Her work often centers young people, not simply as subjects, but as active participants in shaping narrative.
As Head Content Producer at From The Top, the nationally syndicated NPR program, she helped shape the stories of exceptional young musicians across the country. Prior to that, she was a producer and story coach with EmbraceRace, where she designed and facilitated dialogue-based workshops that used storytelling to engage children and families in conversations about race, identity, and belonging.
Jessica’s audio work has aired nationally on NPR, including Morning Edition and All Things Considered. She is currently the Supervising Producer of Peace Talks Radio, a nationally distributed public radio series focused on peacebuilding and nonviolent conflict resolution. In this role, she leads a creative team and develops programs that invite reflection, dialogue, and shared inquiry.
Alongside her work in media, Jessica spent over a decade as a certified childbirth educator and doula, supporting families across Vermont. This work continues to inform her approach to storytelling—grounded in care, presence, and relationship.
Increasingly, Jessica’s work is turning toward writing for young readers, where she brings together her experience in narrative, education, and youth-centered storytelling. As the mother of four daughters, she is especially attuned to the emotional and imaginative worlds of children, and to the kinds of stories that help them make sense of themselves and others. She is interested in creating work that invites empathy across difference and engages questions of identity, memory, and belonging in ways that are accessible to young readers.
Originally from Montreal, Jessica has lived in Toronto, New York City, New Jersey, and South Africa, and now calls Burlington, Vermont home, where she lives with her family and two dogs.