Alumni Spotlight Winter 2024

Jessica Lee (PhD Anthropology, 2012).  

Jess Lee is the owner and CEO of a small business called 413. 413, founded in DC and recently relocated to Colorado Springs, and is built on Jess’ experience as a field researcher and consultant. She uses the skills she gained during graduate school, like qualitative research, connecting with people in drastically different circumstances, and, perhaps most importantly, navigating bureaucracy.  Sometimes she does interesting things and sometimes she does boring things.

A recently retired Terry McCabe student, Jess immediately left academia and sold her wears to the highest bidder, a contract with US Africa Command. Then, she just kept going from there. She’s enjoyed working with the Departments of State, Defense, Justice, and Homeland Defense. She and her colleagues get to do research, analyze data, write papers, present findings, design programs in security sector reform, conduct evaluations of US-funded activities, and, brace yourself, make PowerPoint slides.

Now Jess lives in Colorado Springs with her husband, two cats, one dog, and three children, who try each and every day to find new ways to ruin the few nice things they own.