Dogpatch Nonprofit Director Wins Prestigious Awards

Growing up, Jessica Hansen’s father repeatedly told her, “Don’t waste energy complaining. Do something about it.” 

Following her father’s advice, Hansen put her money where her mouth is. As executive director and chief executive officer for Alliance for Smiles, she was recently honored with two awards at the 2026 Women Changing the World Global Summit in Paris: 2026 Woman of the Year and Humanitarian Impact. There were more than 1,500 nominations from 97 countries, including women who were their countries’ first female prime ministers and those using innovative blood tests to detect breast cancer. 

The Dogpatch-based Alliance for Smiles has provided more than 9,000 free cleft surgeries to children in Africa, Asia, and the Americas, while training and equipping local medical teams to sustainably provide long-term cleft care and improve access to quality healthcare. 

“I don’t know how the judging system works but I’m flabbergasted and honored to receive the awards,” Hansen said. “It feels impossible to compare these women to one another, all of whom are contributing important things to the world. I’m deeply aware the awards belong to everyone who has been part of my work for the last 27 years. It’s board members, staff, volunteers, donors, partners, families, hospitals; it takes all of us.”

Hansen studied at the University of Leicester and earned a degree from the University of New South Wales in Australia that combined international development and social work. 

“I really value my upbringing, and I left the Midwest because I wanted to learn what other perspectives and ideas were out there,” said Hansen, who grew up in Oklahoma.

Having female cousins in Southeast Asia made her aware that, as an American, she had greater opportunities and faced fewer risks. Her mother, who is from Thailand, told her that females are treated differently in other countries; some aren’t allowed to finish their education, others are trafficked for sex or labor, many are survivors of gender-based violence.

Hansen interned at the Centre for Refugee Research, documenting rape and gender-based violence at East African and Southeast Asian refugee camps. She worked for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees for a decade, turning down an office job in Washington, D.C. that offered good compensation. Instead, she took an unpaid position in rural Kenya to help address extreme poverty. Then she worked with the microfinance organization Kiva, was part of social impact teams at Lyft and Twilio, before joining Alliance for Smiles, where she’s been since 2020.  

“I think there’s a tendency in this kind of work where you push yourself because you think, ‘If I just work the weekend, then a few more kids get a cleft-palate surgery, and then I can take a break,’ Hansen said. “What I’ve learned on this journey is that my life and well-being are also deeply important. I’m not as good at helping when I’m not rested and when my nervous system is not calm.”

She added that her field can feel overwhelming and disheartening – especially in light of statistics indicating the lengthy time a refugee can remain in a displacement camp – but she’s buoyed by the thought about how, through her work, someone has a better future. 

“Each small thing matters, and it all ladders up into the well-being of everyone,” she said. “The well-being of each person we touch matters. It would all be worse if we hadn’t done that one small thing.”

Hansen lives in the Outer Sunset with her partner, Keven, and his children Milo and Ollie, along with her cats, Ruthie Bader Ginsburg and Miss Maya Angelou.