Jessica Stern served as the U.S. Special Envoy to Advance the Human Rights of LGBTQI+ Persons where she directed U.S. foreign policy to combat violence and discrimination worldwide. For a decade prior, she led Outright International as Executive Director, transforming it into a global powerhouse for advocacy, research, and grant-making. In 2025, Stern co-founded the Alliance for Diplomacy and Justice alongside seven former Ambassadors, Special Representatives, and Special Envoys to place human rights at the center of U.S. foreign policy. She also serves as an inaugural Senior Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School’s Carr-Ryan Center for Human Rights, where she is shaping the future of inclusive rights through groundbreaking fellowships on global LGBTQI+ equality and U.S. foreign policy.