Jessica Walker

As President and CEO of the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce, Jessica Walker leads advocacy, policy, and economic development for the 125,000 businesses at the heart of New York City's economy. Her work connects the daily realities of Manhattan's merchants to the policy decisions that shape the city's commercial life.

At the Chamber

Under Ms. Walker's leadership, the Chamber has become a leading voice for Manhattan's business community. When COVID-19 shut down the city, she led the Chamber's response, which included the Small Business Resource Network and the Storefront Resurgence Project. Those efforts kept countless businesses from closing and helped launch the next generation of neighborhood entrepreneurs.

Since then, she has championed initiatives that help small businesses cut through city bureaucracy, modernize their operations, and compete in a fast-changing economy. She has also built the Chamber into a source of original research and accountability on the issues that decide whether neighborhood storefronts thrive or close.

A career in civic and economic infrastructure

Ms. Walker began her career as an advocate for older New Yorkers. As a policy analyst at United Neighborhood Houses, she wrote a landmark report on the risks facing seniors who age alone. That research helped make social isolation a national priority for the AARP Foundation and led to a community-based geriatric mental health initiative in New York City that continues today.

At the New York Academy of Medicine, she led Age-Friendly NYC, a public-private partnership shaped by direct input from seniors in all five boroughs. The Bloomberg administration adopted 59 of its proposals, and New York became a global model for age-inclusive urban design.

Moving into economic advocacy, Ms. Walker served as Vice President for Government Affairs at the Partnership for New York City, which represents the city's largest corporate employers. There she helped shape the initiatives that sped New York's job recovery after the 2008 financial crisis.

Board service and civic leadership

Ms. Walker serves on the boards of the Javits Center, the city's premier convention venue; United Neighborhood Houses, which delivers human services across New York; and Pursuit Lending, a community development financial institution that invests in local businesses. She is a member of the Women's Forum of New York. She was also appointed to Governor Hochul's Regional Economic Development Council for New York City, where she helps guide the region's economic strategy.

Recognition and background

Ms. Walker has been named to several of City & State's power lists, including the Manhattan Power 100, Who's Who in MWBEs, Economic Development Trailblazers, and Black Trailblazers. In 2022, Crain's New York Business recognized her among its Notable Black Leaders.

Born in Detroit and raised on the Navajo Nation, Ms. Walker is a graduate of Princeton University. She lives in Harlem, where she is happiest in her garden, deep in a history book, or hosting friends.