Staff

Nikki Braendlin began her service to Alliance of Women Directors as a volunteer with, and then Chair of, the Festival Outreach Committee. She was then elected to the Board of Directors, where she served three terms. During her tenure on the Board Nikki helped oversee the development of AWD's new logo and website, worked with Studio Partnerships, served as Secretary, and was involved with the development of WIP, BDAI, and other programs. She is honored to serve as the interim Executive Director during this exciting transitional phase while she maintains her Director Member status with AWD.

Jess Agi (MPA, CAPM; pronouns: she/her) is a seasoned nonprofit director, media producer, and social impact strategist. Born and raised in Alaska, Jess cut her teeth in NYC as a comedy and reality TV producer where she worked with top celebrity talent and national brands on world-class video content, events, tours, and campaigns. After a powerful experience as a Story Producer for A&E’s hit reality series “Hoarders,” she felt called to leverage her skill set as a producer to help create positive social change through combining advocacy and media. While continuing to produce live comedy shows and reality TV for Food Network, HGTV, Bravo, and more, she began to also organize non-profit fundraising events as well as advocacy campaigns for social issues like universal free school lunch, gun violence prevention, and gender equity.

To expand the impact of her work, Jess earned her master's degree in public administration while working with a variety of nonprofits and advocacy efforts. To date, she has helped raise over $25 million for inspiring missions and movements (spanning gender and racial justice, reproductive health, youth development, disability advocacy, and hunger relief) and has managed multiple progressive political campaigns. Most recently, Jess served as the Executive Director of a political nonprofit focused on children's issues where she led the organization through strategic planning, organizational development, and the launch of an affiliated advocacy arm to expand their impact and influence.

An award-winning freelance journalist and certified project manager, Jess is a collaborative and respected leader who believes deeply in the power of building relationships across beliefs, backgrounds, and identities to address systemic inequities and create lasting change. Based in Los Angeles, Jess is the Co-Founder and Executive Producer of Green Olive Creative where she consults with nonprofits, podcasts, and artists on social impact, fundraising, and brand management. She is fired up about the chance to help advance AWD's game-changing mission during such a pivotal moment for representation and inclusion in the entertainment industry and beyond.