April 27, 2022 JESSIE D’AMATO FORD JOINS TOPCODER LEADERSHIP AS HEAD OF COMMUNITY

As a community first organization, Topcoder is thrilled to announce that Jessie D’Amato Ford has been named Head of Community. Jessie joined Topcoder in 2005 and has been a passionate advocate for the community during her 17+ year tenure. Formerly the Senior Director of Community, Jessie’s new role will encompass community as a whole—bringing together staff, members, and customers—all as part of the Topcoder community. She’s excited to bring every community member the education, support, and opportunities they need to succeed and thrive.  

Jessie manages teams on every continent with one goal in mind: to keep the 1.6+ million Topcoder Community members (the top developers, designers, data scientists and testers from 190+ countries) growing, happy, and engaged. During her 17+ year tenure, she has managed the internationally renowned Topcoder Open annual tournament (TCO), regional events and IT competitions around the world, and implemented member-based incentive programs that have resulted in life-changing opportunities for the ever-expanding Topcoder Community.

In 2021, Jessie started The Brackets Club, a nonprofit organization to aid community freelancers in need. As the Founder of this nonprofit, she’s collecting funding from industry leaders and individuals for financial support during tragedy for community freelancers without access to health benefits or insurance.

Jessie works from her home office on the shoreline of Connecticut with her husband and two children. She has the pleasure and chaos of being a busy working mom and writer on top of her career at Topcoder and The Brackets Club.

“The 1.6 million Topcoder community members are my colleagues, and they have truly made a difference in where I am today. Their heartfelt gratitude and beautiful messages to me throughout my tenure are what keep me going every single day. There are so many members who have made an impact on my life over the years. They always tell me how much I give to them but I really feel it goes both ways.” 

—Jessie D’Amato Ford, Head of Community, Topcoder