She/Her/Hers

Vocal Justice

Bess Cohen (she/her) is the Director of Organizational Strategy & Operations at Vocal Justice. She is passionate about building joyful spaces where youth of color and their adult collaborators feel safe, nurtured, and powerful. Prior to joining the Vocal Justice team, Bess led therapeutic arts and mentoring programs for youth in foster care. Previously, as a college student, she co-founded and directed StoryArts Summer Camp, a free arts and storytelling program for middle school students on the South Side of Chicago. She also worked as a reporter and editor for the South Side Weekly, covering schools and organizing on the South Side, before leading the organization's Board of Directors. She earned her BA in Public Policy and AM in Clinical Social Work from the University of Chicago. Brooklyn-bred and Chicago-based, Bess loves jumping in Lake Michigan, hanging out with her godbabies, and singing in a couple of choirs and on her own.