Jess Scully

Jess Scully is a broadcaster, author, and advocate for policy innovation, active public participation and civic imagination.

She is currently Executive Director of a foundation and global network deploying creativity and technology to enhance democracy and prototype new market dynamics.

Previously, Jess served as Deputy Lord Mayor of Sydney and as a Councillor at the City of Sydney. Jess  addressed gendered violence and the housing crisis; encouraged  Community Wealth Building; supported Sydney's cultural ecosystem and nightlife, and brought more inclusive consultation in  shaping the life of the city.

Jess hosted Saturday afternoons on ABC radio, after founding and directing Vivid Ideas, Australia’s largest creative industries event. She has supported emerging talent through the Qantas Spirit of Youth Awards; transformed public space as an urbanism consultant and public art curator, served as a policy advisor to the NSW Minister for the Arts.

Jess is a World Bank consultant contributing to urban transformation in Indonesia, Jess is also a Non Executive Director of Parents for Climate, a member of Women for Election’s Political Advisory Board and Senior Associate at the Sydney Policy Lab. 

Her first book, Glimpses of Utopia: Real Ideas for a Fairer World, was shortlisted in the Australian Book Industry Awards in 2021.