Jessica McManus Warnell teaches the required undergraduate-level business ethics course at the Mendoza College of Business, and elective courses in sustainable business, women and inclusive leadership, managing early career and multigenerational employees, and business and culture in Japan. Jessica is the recipient of the 2017 United Nations Principles for Responsible Management Education (UN PRME) North America Chapter Award for Teaching Excellence. Her current research explores 1) business students’ values orientations and 2) community and economic recovery and resilience in the wake of the Fukushima, Japan, triple disaster. She served as visiting teaching and research fellow at Reitaku University 麗澤大学, Kashiwa, Chiba, Japan, March – July 2013, with ongoing collaboration. Jessica is a graduate of Saint Mary’s College (BA) and the University of Chicago (MA), and has completed the Notre Dame Executive Education Certificate in Executive Management, and Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Sustainability Reporting Certification from LEAD Canada. A Faculty Fellow of the Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies and of the Pulte Institute for Global Development, and an Affiliated Faculty Member of the Notre Dame Sustainability Strategy Committee, the Poverty Studies Minor, and the Gender Studies Program, Jessica is the author of Engaging Millennials for Ethical Leadership: What Works for Young Professionals and Their Managers, available from Business Expert Press at http://EngagingEthicalMillennials.nd.edu.
Our Board of Directors
Jessica McManus
Amber Werner
Amber Werner currently works for the City of South Bend in the Office of Sustainability as the Program Director for South Bend Green Corps. She has spent the last twelve years implementing and executing multiple initiatives focused on empowerment, stability, and sustainability. She currently serves as President of the Indiana Program Directors Association, Treasurer of the national poverty reduction nonprofit, Emerge Solutions, Secretary of the Partnership for the Education and Prevention of Substance Abuse (PEPSA), and Vice President of the Master of Public Affairs Student Association (MPASA). Amber is a proud life-long resident of South Bend and spends her free time exploring opportunities to better serve her community.
Jake Bebar
Jake Bebar is an Implementation Director at Epic Systems, one of the largest healthcare software firms in the world, where he specializes in change management and interoperability. Jake helped start JIFFI his freshman year at Notre Dame where he learned that income is only one of the many determinants of poverty. That fact led to his interest in healthcare delivery outside the traditional walls of a hospital or clinic, as well as his interest in social determinants of health, particularly for refugees, LGBTQ youth experiencing homelessness, and other vulnerable populations. Outside of work, you can usually find him playing piano, riding at SoulCyle, or trying to learn as much as possible about someone’s life over a cup of coffee.
Cristin Pacifico
Cristin is a Florida native who has made a home in the Midwest. A graduate of the University of Notre Dame, Cristin majored in Finance and International Peace Studies. Her passion for entrepreneurship drove her involvement in various start ups, including co-founding JIFFI and holding positions at Vennli, a South Bend based SaaS company, and Home Chef, a Chicago-based meal kit start up. Cristin has a breath of experience in Finance and Investments from Robert W. Baird, JPMorgan, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Equifund Partners and Irish Angels. Cristin founded the Joseph Academy Junior Board in Chicago, a school system that helps students with severe behavioral, emotional and learning disabilities, and mentors first generation students attending college through the Schuler Scholar program.
Jacob Stanton
Megan Allen
Megan is the CEO of JIFFI for the 2021-2022 year. She is a senior from Portland, Oregon majoring in Business Analytics and Economics at the University of Notre Dame.
Zach Thompson
Zach Thompson currently works at the Notre Dame Federal Credit Union as a full-time Senior Manager of Business Development. He is a financial service professional with a strong background in individual financial planning and management.