Jess Levey was born and raised in Park Slope, Brooklyn where she was offered a liberal and diverse upbringing. She received her BA in Art History and Visual Arts from Barnard College at Columbia University and her MFA from Hunter college of The City of New York. 

To support her artistic endeavors, Jess worked as a Photo Editor for 10 years for Hearst Magazines up until October 2008 when the magazine for which she worked was shut down. Currently, Jess is thoroughly enjoying Obama's stimulus package, which has given her freedom from the cubicle life and the ability to create stronger and more considered work.