Jess Annabelle is a multi-disciplinary folk artist. Their favorite mediums include buildings, time, writing and entrepreneurship.

Jess’s projects explore people, places and tension, especially as relates to sexuality, gender, the Midwest, Judaism and labor.

Jess leads a real estate team in Milwaukee, WI centered on cultivating racial equity and queer inclusion in homeownership and real estate investing. They were featured as the Hero of the Month in the The Shephard Express for their real estate business.

Jess was a part of the Twin Cities Avengers, Dyke March, and the CeCe McDonald Support Committee featured in Laverne Cox’s film Free CeCe! (2010-2012). Their first business The Innocent Classroom grew to support more than 31,000 educators in 25 US States in building stronger and more authentic relationships with their students of color (2012-2022). They were a board member and later co-chair of the board for Trans Lifeline (2017-2020).

Jess has been a guest lecturer at San Francisco State University and the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities and was the keynote speaker for the 20th Annual Bisexual Conference. They have led conversations about safety beyond policing, interfaith discussions about the conflict in Israel/Palestine, and spoken at the UWM Encampment Falasteen Lawn, the Milwaukee Muslim Women’s Coalition, and the Milwaukee Jewish Museum.

Their work is informed by their experiences living and growing up in the Midwest, Germany, Morocco, and Panama.