Jo is a writer with a background in financial services, career services, nonprofits, and academia. In addition to her publicly posted work, she has written extensively for prior employers. Her work history includes writing a winning grant application for State Department funds, writing quarterly reports for other grant-funded projects, and creating Cost-Benefit Analysis reports for clients. Additionally, her graduate research papers on education in post-conflict nations attracted the interest of World Bank consultants, leading to her serving as a research assistant on the MENA Flagship Education Report. She grasps complex concepts quickly and is skilled in conveying information with clarity to audiences who may lack technical expertise.

In her personal life, she currently juggles care for her toddler with her husband, who works as a banking manager. They met in college, just after she had arrived from Turkey, where she grew up. He noticed her staring at the world map in the student center and introduced himself. He grew up in South Africa! They now live a remarkably quiet life in North Carolina. In her limited free time, Jo attempts yoga, drafts novels, and bakes gluten-free goodies, but mostly, she tries to keep up with her active little boy as he runs circles around her.