Hi, I’m Jocelyn curran
I’m a senior nonprofit and philanthropy leader with more than a decade of experience driving strategy, operations, and community impact across the Bay Area and Central Coast. Known for my ability to pair heart-forward leadership with strong programmatic execution, I have led multi-site programs, managed multimillion-dollar portfolios, and built partnerships across government, philanthropy, and the nonprofit sector. My work is grounded in a deep commitment to equity, trust-based practices, and strengthening the systems that support both organizations and the people behind them.
Most recently, I served as Senior Director at Downtown Streets Team, where I oversaw operations across eight cities with a $3.5M regional budget, leading teams responsible for workforce development, homeless services, and community engagement. I played a key role in shaping organizational strategy, improving program performance, and launching innovative initiatives, including a highly successful Rapid ReHousing program. Under my leadership, previously struggling teams transformed into high-performing, stable communities, with improved staff retention and stronger participant outcomes.
Prior to this, I spent seven years at the Peery Foundation, where I designed and implemented capacity-building initiatives that supported nearly 100 nonprofit organizations and generated $1.8M in additional grant funding. I also led pioneering efforts to address nonprofit staff wellbeing, directing funding and resources to organizations across five countries. My experience spans domestic and global philanthropy, donor engagement, and designing programs that translate listening and insight into tangible, high-impact support for nonprofit partners. You can see more on my LinkedIn page.
I have a Master’s degree in International Policy Studies: Human Security and Development from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey and a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and History from Denison University. I live in Monterey, California with my family and am the proud mom of two rambunctious boys. In my free time I enjoy trying out new recipes, baking, and reading for fun.
A BIT ABOUT Jocelyn’s Approach
My approach centers on leveraging my professional experiences while listening deeply to nonprofit leaders, translating their experiences into actionable strategies, and helping funders align their practices with the realities on the ground. I am grounded in a belief in being of service to my community, in the inherent goodness of people, and in the power we unlock when we work together toward a shared purpose. This work is deeply relational, rooted in trust, humility, and a commitment to showing up with curiosity and care.
practical ideas
We focus on what will actually help. That means turning what we hear into clear next steps that organizations and funders can use right away, not ideas that sit on a shelf. We’re good at making order out of chaos, taking big ideas or early visions and turning them into something real, structured, and doable. We keep things simple, practical, and grounded in real experience. Through every step, we stay true to our values and make space for thoughtful, lasting work.
human centered
At the core of everything we do is a deep respect for people. We believe in the inherent goodness of humans and that those closest to the work are best positioned to shape solutions. We build with clarity, act with integrity, and stay curious. We prioritize relationships, honor lived experience, and create space for honest dialogue. When people feel seen, supported, and trusted, stronger organizations and more meaningful impact naturally follow.
Hi, i’m Jessamyn shams-lau
I’m a creative who got lost in the sandbox of philanthropy and decided to stay and play. After my journey in philanthropy began in 2009, I quickly came to the realisation that I needed to contribute to what we create next, rather than what is here now. And it had to happen with more joy and laughter than was typical. My sand castles aren’t built with ramparts. I’m a bridge builder whose creations traverse and unite, branch, and tie together. Sometimes my work is highly practical, other times it’s pure imagination.
I led a private foundation for an understated Silicon Valley billionaire for over a decade, helped national and global organizations create funder collaboratives, advised and supported HNWI’s in their giving, and have long been an advocate for humility and power sharing in philanthropy. You can see more details on my LinkedIn profile.
Way back in 2018, before the world changed a few times Jane Leu, Vu Le, and I wrote a book. It’s called ‘Unicorns Unite: How Nonprofits & Foundations Can Build EPIC Partnerships’. It looks like a kids book, but has some serious things to say about the state of relationships between nonprofits and foundations.
I dropped out of secondary school (high school) when I was 16, went to community collage—arguably the best education I’ve experienced—to study Art & Design, and then got an undergrad in Fine Arts. Later on I returned to formal education for an Early Childhood Montessori Diploma and then an MBA. All my training shows up in the way I work and lead. For example, parts of the ‘prepared environment’ philosophy of Montessori come to the fore when I manage teams; I believe strongly in creating environments where people have freedom and self-determination, with various forms of power being shared across perceived and actual hierarchies.
I’m a cis, straight woman and I use she/her pronouns. I currently live on the coastal outskirts of Copenhagen, Denmark, with my partner, daughter, and our house rabbits. I’m an immigrant, a couple of times over (by choice). I have mixed heritage and ethnicity, both in my own identity and my family’s. We celebrate British, Chinese, Danish, Malaysian, and Persian holidays. If I’m not working, you’ll find me adventuring with my kid, gardening with my partner, relaxing with our rabbits, making random art, hosting visitors to Copenhagen, or napping loudly :D
A bit about Jessamyn’s Approach
My approach draws from my beliefs in:
philanthropy’s people
There’s a latent force for good hiding within philanthropy’s assets, more influential and powerful than the billions sitting in endowments and DAFs. Across the world many of the philanthropy workforce have read the traditional textbooks of philanthropy, have put them in practice, and have seen the often lacklustre results in communities. They want to see philanthropy become the community and nonprofit partner they know it can be at its best. They are usually the folks working to actively better the way philanthropy shows up and operates. It’s these people I love to support, champion, and help to build up their influence.
creative possibility
I work with collective imagination, integrating many perspectives and ideas. I try to bring out the artist in all of us. Never afraid to step past 'realistic' towards concepts ahead of their time, I want to help us dream of, believe in, and try out pieces of a future we hope for. I want to help myself and others to step out of our dependence on the jargon and borrowed thought from corporations, finance, and entrepreneurship, to reinvent philanthropy’s philosophy and practices into what is needed by social change and the world today.