Basic Info

First Name

Jessica

Last Name

Rios

Username

JessicaRios

Additional Contact Information

Pronouns

she/her/hers/herself

Progressive Profile

Current Employer

self employed

Current Occupation

PR & Branding Consultant

Tagline

Artist, feminist & activist. Research is my love language.

Bio

I am an artist and activist currently living in Central Florida. For years, I have been using my education and experience to bring awareness to social justice issues currently oppressing women, BIPOC, and members of the LGBTQIA+ communities in Lakeland, Florida, and across the country. As a woman and the daughter of immigrants, I am committed to becoming an ally for the communities that I call love and call home.

Impact

In 2018 I co-founded a volunteer-run feminist organization called the Lakeland Women’s Collective. LWC is a pro-human, anti-racist, anti-exploitation feminist organization. We support creativity and artistry as a form of resistance. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, we organized dozens of community events that supported women entrepreneurs, creatives, and artists, and used our online community to bring awareness to feminist issues in a small conservative city. 

The events included networking, happy hours, all female artist showcases, markets, as well as hosted two female candidates who ran locally for a round table discussion. In Spring of 2021, we held a round table discussion at SEWSA’s virtual conference.

Volunteer History

Organization

Lakeland Women's Collective

Role

Co-founder and Public Relation Director

Start Date

January 1, 1970

End Date

January 1, 1970

Education

School

University of South Florida

Degree

BA in Communication

Honors and Achievements

Member of the National Society of Leadership and Success, Co-founder of the Lakeland Women’s Collective, self-published author, and first generation college student.

Graduation Date

January 1, 1970