Work History

I started my creative career in the art department on film sets but quickly fell in love with the slower, more artful pace of still photography. I spent several years working as a food and prop stylist, then art director, and eventually an editorial photographer.

Just as my photography career was taking off, I co-founded ban.do, a small accessory company that grew over the years into a global lifestyle brand. During my twelve years with the company, I served as Creative Director and later Chief Creative Officer and Ambassador, building a brand centered on joy, color, and emotional well-being.

In 2020, I began what would become a five-year sabbatical, recalibrating after a 25-year career and rediscovering my own creativity through art and imagination. I got some rest, learned a lot, and found the freedom I had been looking for.

Also during this time, my friend Bri Emery and I co-founded Spider Spider, a creative think tank focused on developing frameworks that support neuroarts, imagination, and creative healing.

I now use what I’ve learned about creativity and business, along with the lived experience of the last several years to to help individuals and teams grow ideas, projects, and brands with clarity and purpose.

Other Projects of Note

Hosted Jen Gotch is OK… Sometimes : a candid podcast that explored mental health through honesty and humor.

Authored The Upside of Being Down, Simon & Schuster : New York Times bestselling memoir.

Collaborated with Bring Change to Mind to raise mental health awareness for teens and adults through speaking engagements and a fundraising collaboration with ban.do.