Jessy Tolkan serves as President and CEO of Drive Agency, a social impact firm she founded to bridge grassroots activism with corporate leadership. Over two decades as a movement builder, she has championed equity-focused initiatives while prioritizing women's leadership and youth engagement in organizational structures. Her leadership philosophy centers on self-advocacy and personal agency, grounded in the belief that everyday people hold transformative power. She is particularly known for convening unlikely partnerships, connecting youth activists with major corporations to tackle challenges like climate change and human rights violations.
Drive Agency operates with an unconventional model, including a four-day work week and month-long summer sabbaticals, so employees can maintain balanced lives while pursuing impact-driven work. The firm deliberately partners with women-led organizations and local experts rather than relying solely on in-house knowledge, ensuring diverse voices shape its projects. Tolkan also sits on multiple boards, where she mentors emerging female leaders and works to open pathways into sectors historically dominated by men.
