Jessica Stephens

Jessica Stephens currently serves as the Director of Business Development at Persistent since March 2023. Prior to this, Jessica held various leadership roles at the Africa Minigrid Developers Association (AMDA) from February 2018 to March 2023, including CEO, where responsibilities included overseeing strategic planning and crisis management, negotiating partnerships with national rural electrification agencies, and engaging with international organizations. Jessica’s extensive experience encompasses roles as COO, Global Coordinator, Policy & Strategic Advisor, and General Manager across different organizations, focusing on business development, program management, and financial planning in the renewable energy and development sectors. Jessica co-founded Chocolate Mamas, the first bean-to-bar chocolate manufacturing in East Africa, and has contributed as a consultant for several organizations, including USAID and PEPFAR. Jessica holds a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology from Syracuse University.