Chess Jakobs

Background

About Chess Jakobs

Chess Jakobs is a multi-field organizational leader with experience in Culture Strategy, Public Affairs, Social Impact and Sustainability, Environmental Advocacy, Philanthropy, Diversity + Equity + Inclusion + Belonging, and Internal and External Communications. Chess is currently the Head of Culture Amp Foundation, where they focus on creating a better world of work and making the world of work more attainable. Chess is a Senior Strategist for Counterstream Media, a multicultural multimedia platform focusing on stories of environmental justice. Formerly, Chess was on the board of Girl Plus Environment, a non-profit focused on bringing more Black and Brown women, girls, and femmes into the environmental justice movement. Chess was also a Co-Organizer at Black in Environment, whose mission is to build a community for Black people in environmental spaces and highlight Black environmentalists' scholarship, activism, and engagement globally. They served on the voting committee for the DC Environmental Film Festival for the 2022 Season.Chess was formerly the Head of People Programs and Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging at LiveRamp (NYSE), where they led Strategic Communications, DEI, Social Impact, Sustainability, Employee Experience, and Events. Before LiveRamp, Chess built DEI Programs at NianticLabs (PokémonGO, Tebra, Broadway Dreams Foundation, and University of Michigan). Chess also led field research on racial and economic justice in public housing in Chicago, where they leveraged actors and housing development researchers to assess discrimination from landlords. Chess was the Founding Chair of the Advisory Board at Broadway Dreams Foundation, Former LGBTQ+ Relations Chair for BLK Men in Tech, and former member of the Governing Board of the School of Music, Theatre, and Dance at the University of Michigan.Chess received their Bachelor's Degree from the University of Michigan.