Jessica Hepburn

Jessica Hepburn is one of the UK’s most inspiring voices on female empowerment, fertility, and the transformative power of adventure. As an award-winning author, arts producer, and renowned motivational speaker, Jessica has dedicated her life to encouraging others – particularly women – to live big and brave, especially when life doesn’t go to plan. Through her deeply personal story of infertility, coupled with record-breaking physical feats, she offers a rare and powerful blend of vulnerability and strength that resonates across audiences globally.

Jessica’s career began in the arts, rising to become Executive Director of the Lyric Hammersmith, one of London’s leading theatres. During her ten-year tenure, she led the £20 million redevelopment of the venue, for which she was nominated Theatre Manager of the Year. While managing a major cultural institution, she was also navigating the deeply personal and often painful experience of infertility, undergoing eleven rounds of IVF. These years of struggle led to a turning point: writing. Her debut book, ‘The Pursuit of Motherhood’, became an Amazon bestseller and marked her emergence as a public figure advocating for more open conversation around fertility and loss.

In 2016, Jessica co-founded Fertility Fest, the world’s first arts festival dedicated to fertility, infertility, and modern families. The festival became a ground-breaking platform for blending science and the arts to change the narrative around reproductive health. It attracted international attention, with events held at the Barbican and other major venues. Under Jessica’s leadership, the festival spearheaded a campaign to include fertility education in schools, ultimately contributing to the UK government’s decision to broaden the curriculum from 2019. Her work in this area has been recognised by awards including Amnesty International’s Women of Suffragette Spirit, Stylist magazine’s Woman of the Week, and the Fertility Foundation’s inaugural Fertility Hero Award.

Outside the world of writing and advocacy, Jessica has become a pioneer of what she calls ‘adventure activism’. In 2022, she became the first woman to complete the ‘Sea, Street, Summit Challenge’ – swimming the English Channel, running the London Marathon, and summiting Mount Everest. Her most recent book, ‘Save Me from the Waves’, chronicles this extraordinary journey and has been named a Stanfords Travel Book of the Month. Jessica now speaks internationally, sharing her story to help people transform adversity into power and purpose. Whether addressing corporate leaders or school pupils, she leaves her audience with a singular, unforgettable message: live big and brave.