Remembering Jessica Clark, Founder of Dot Connector Studio

We are so heartbroken by the sudden passing of Jessica Clark, a longtime consultant, collaborator and friend to Media Impact Funders, and the founder and director of Dot Connector Studio. Jessica passed away on Oct. 28.

Jessica’s work helped shape much of how we—and the broader field—think about media impact. As MIF’s former Director of Research and Strategy, she brought extraordinary insight and creativity to our collective efforts to help funders and practitioners better understand how storytelling drives change.

In addition to the rigorous quality of her research and analysis, Jessica brought a whimsical style to her work—always balancing complex ideas with humor and imagination. She delivered lessons about media impact on laminated place mats, on brightly designed decks of cards, and even with a spinning dial, Twister-style—anything to bring ideas to life in a creative, joyful way.

Jessica was instrumental in shaping MIF’s programming, including the relaunch of the Media Impact Festival in 2013/14, which celebrated storytelling’s capacity to strengthen communities and transform society. Her frameworks, tools and curiosity helped build a shared language for understanding how media moves people and inspires change.

In the 12 years Jessica spearheaded Dot Connector Studio, she built a home for storytellers, visionaries and rebels. Across the fields of journalism, media, futurism, philanthropy, technology, arts, culture and politics, so many innumerable friends and colleagues find inspiration, community and refuge in the worlds Jessica brought into being.

Jessica was a dear friend to so many in our community. Her intellect, generosity and playfulness will be deeply missed—but her influence will continue to guide us.

Our hearts are with her family and friends, and her colleagues at Dot Connector Studio. If you’d like to help with the immediate costs of honoring her extraordinary life and continuing her important work, you can donate here. Please direct questions to Dot Connector’s Katie Donnelly: katie@dotconnectorstudio.com.

About the Author

Nina Sachdev

Director of Communications

Nina Sachdev brings more than 20 years of journalism, news editing and marketing experience to her role as a communications director for Media Impact Funders (MIF). Since joining MIF in 2016, Nina has been leading efforts to showcase the power of media, journalism and storytelling to the philanthropic community. Through strategic communications, member engagement strategies, research initiatives and high-profile speaking events, Nina works to educate and inspire funders to make more strategic decisions about their media funding. Nina’s experience as a senior leader in a philanthropy serving organization (PSO)—combined with her unique perspective of a grantseeker and a grantmaker—enables her to effectively advocate for the mission and vision of MIF and build strong relationships with donors and key stakeholders in the field of media philanthropy. Nina also brings with her from her journalism days a special focus on sexual assault and reproductive health, and is a tireless advocate for the importance of quality, impactful storytelling and journalism around these topics.
Nina cut her teeth in journalism at The Dallas Morning News, where—as an intern on the copy desk—she was tasked with editing the obituaries of famous people who hadn’t yet died. Since then, Nina has worked at The Santa Rosa Press Democrat, The Philadelphia Daily News and The Philadelphia Weekly in almost every editorial capacity imaginable, including senior editor, A1 editor (when that used to be a thing) and slot (does anyone remember that being a thing?).
Nina is the creator and editor of the award-winning The Survivors Project: Telling the Truth About Life After Sexual Abuse, which exposes the reality of healing from the effects of sexual abuse. Nina holds an M.A. in journalism from Temple University. She lives in Philadelphia with her family.