Jessica Halem is able to do many things at once all while looking fabulous. She can host your event, run a workshop, and keep the crowd laughing with her stand-up all while Twittering in perfect lipstick. Add in her stellar live auction skills and smart political analysis and you have a memorable conference, fundraiser or comedy show.

Jessica produced The Hysterical Women, an all lesbian stand-up comedy troupe, for many years. She honed her craft on the road at Pride festivals and colleges all across the country. She has emceed every event or fundraiser where she could make a difference. And she is well known for her role as emcee for the regularly sold-out Gurlesque Burlesque shows.

She has shared the stage with entertainers such as Margaret Cho, Jill Scott, Justin Bond, Dirty Martini, Suzanne Westenhoefer, Karen Williams, Vicki Shaw, Bob Smith, Julie Atlas Muz, and Andre Kelley.

Jessica has always been a committed social justice activist. Her career spans the international women’s movement, the LGBT health movement, and electoral politics.

Jessica’s comedy and activism have been written about in publications as diverse as Fast Company, the Chicago Tribune and The Advocate. She has won numerous awards including: “21 Leaders for the 21st Century” by Women eNews, “Unsung Heroine” by the Cook County Commission on Women’s Issues and “Friend for Life” by Howard Brown Health Center. In 2006, Jessica made her LOGO TV premier as the sidekick to Red in the Stoli “Be Real” documentary.

Most recently, she was nominated as “Best Female Comedian” at the 2008 Chicago Comedy Awards and deemed one of the “Queers that Make Our City Great” by Time Out Chicago.

In addition to her skills as an emcee/host and her 45-60 minute stand-up comedy routine, Jessica offers academic workshops on improvisation and lectures about the intersection of identity: Queer/Jewish/Feminist and the the intersection of social justice/activism with health and comedy.