Peace Geeks

Jennifer Freeman joined PeaceGeeks as its new CEO in April 2020. A native of Canada, she has worked in conflict zones, refugee settlements, nonprofits, universities, and with peacebuilders from over 55 countries. Relentlessly curious, Jen brings her experience in organizational leadership, research, and practice to lead PeaceGeeks as it leverages technology, digital media, and design thinking to support peacebuilders in Canada, Jordan, and around the world.

Jennifer is a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar. She studied peace and conflict in Northern Island,

As Chief Geek, Jen heads the organization that began as a startup to now emerge as an industry leader. Her origins in peacebuilding began 18 years ago, learning from civil society leaders in Northern Ghana, then from community leaders in refugee camps in East Africa, youth in detention facilities, and during a decade working with Women PeaceMakers at the forefront of responding to violent conflict and extremism in Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas.

Jen has been at the forefront of developing strategic initiatives and public-private partnerships that leverage technology to enhance the safety, security, and agency of peacebuilders around the world. Before joining PeaceGeeks, she was the Associate Director for the Kroc Institute for Peace and Justice at the University of San Diego, where she oversaw their domestic and international peacebuilding programs; and was Professor of Practice at the Kroc School of Peace Studies. Prior to that, she developed and ran the institute’s Women, Peace, and Security programming, working with corporations and organizations such as Symantec, Inc., to support the digital protection needs of peacebuilders, and with Cigna Healthcare for executives to learn adaptive leadership strategies from peacebuilders from conflict-affected contexts. She is currently a remote visiting fellow at the London School of Economics' Centre for Women, Peace and Security, and advisor to the Network of Religious and Traditional Peacemakers, as well as a member and partner of the Women's Alliance for Security Leadership (WASL).