CEO Full STEAM Forward; Board Member
New York, NY
Joanne (Joni) Bessler is a Global Citizen. She has lived and worked in the US, Israel, Singapore, Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand and most recently China, where she and her husband raised their three sons. She thrives on experiencing new cultures—the more “off the beaten path” the better. In addition to her native English, Joni speaks Spanish, Mandarin and Hebrew, albeit no longer fluently.
The majority of Joni’s 40-year professional career was spent as a Partner with Booz, Allen & Hamilton/Strategy&. At Booz, she served clients globally in the Health, Financial Services and Consumer Sectors focused on helping organizations strategically, improving operating efficiency, and navigating complex cross industry/cross border challenges. Post retirement from Booz in 2012, Joni shifted her focus to education as President, China for Avenues, the World School, Co-founder of Bookends in Shanghai, and Advisor to Y.K. Pao School in China.
After getting “stuck” in the US in 2020 at the beginning of Co-VID, and unable to return home to China, Joni co-founded Full Steam Forward (FSF), an after-school STEAM enrichment program for 3rd, 4th and 5th grade girls from under-resourced communities. Joni currently serves as CEO. As a 501(c)3, FSF is committed to education equity.
Joni holds a BSc from Stanford University and an MBA from University of Chicago GSB. She is a Board Member of Special Olympics International and Birth Matters Foundation in Costa Alegre, Mexico. She splits her time between New York City and La Manzanilla, Mexico.