Jessica Pliska

Jessica Pliska is the Founder and CEO of The Opportunity Network and sits on the organization’s Board of Directors. In her role, she oversees all organizational functions, including strategy, programs, fundraising, corporate governance, operations, human resources, finance, administration, and communications. Over her tenure, the organization grew from a pilot program serving one school and 10 students to a highly regarded field leader serving thousands of public school students in New York City and in 25+ cities across the country.

Before founding OppNet, Jessica launched the marketing department for Mercer Delta Consulting, a Marsh & McLennan company, as its first U.S. Director of Marketing, and before that, she was an executive at Edelman, where she managed communications for CEOs. Jessica sits on the Board of Directors of CareerVillage.org, previously sat on the National Advisory Board of the “I Have a Dream” Foundation, and was a member of the National College Access Network’s Rapid Response Policy Team. From 2016-2024, she was a monthly contributor to Forbes, profiling CEOs and senior executives on their career paths, passions, and purpose. Jessica received her B.A. from Yale College.