About
My Story
I always knew I wanted to design, but like many ’90s kids, my parents insisted I get a “real education.” So, Jackie from the Bronx went to Middlebury, Vermont, and earned a degree in comparative politics. I thought I’d follow a legal path—until I realized it wasn’t the creative challenge I craved. So, I dove into interior design, climbing from intern to senior designer and eventually launching my own firm.
Life threw challenges my way—becoming a mother, losing loved ones, and balancing caregiving for both a 94-year-old and a 4-year-old. By 2020, digital products like Instacart were essential for my multi-hyphenate life. Exhausted, I knew it was time for a pivot. I completed a product design bootcamp, and that's when my liberal arts degree came back into play.
The Turning Point
And then, that liberal arts degree—framed and forgotten—decided to make a comeback. The project brief was simple:
"How might we design a microsite that streamlines the way citizens communicate with their elected representatives and access local government services?"
During the pandemic, when the world slowed down, I saw an opportunity to tackle a problem that was often overlooked: local government. For my final bootcamp project, I was tasked with designing a microsite to streamline communication between citizens and their elected representatives. But as I dug deeper, I realized local government wasn’t just a “city problem” — it was a nationwide challenge.
I interviewed people across the country—NYC, Texas, Oregon, Colorado, and Montana—talking to state senate candidates, professors, political influencers, epidemiologists, and everyday Americans. What I discovered was unsettling: the system was broken. Trust in the media had eroded, the news people received varied wildly across states, and conspiracy theories were rampant, especially among older generations trying to navigate a new, digital-first media landscape.
A Five Year Journey
This sparked a five-year journey: From product design roles at major media companies, where I saw how information is filtered and delivered, to immersing myself in research and literature. I wanted to understand the cultural and political divides threatening the nation. Two election cycles later, one thing became clear—transparency and common ground aren’t just concepts—they’re critical to bridging these divides.
Today, with my background in product design and my experiences in local governance and civic engagement, I believe platforms like Govley are not just needed—they’re essential. In a time of fractured media and disengaged citizens, Govley aims to bring transparency, accessibility, and common ground to local government, empowering communities to engage in the political process like never before.
Govley: The Solution
Today, with my background in product design and my experiences in local governance and civic engagement, I believe platforms like Govley are not just needed—they’re essential. In a time of fractured media and disengaged citizens, Govley aims to bring transparency, accessibility, and common ground to local government, empowering communities to engage in the political process like never before.
