We’re looking forward to introducing you to Jen Baron. Check out our conversation below.
Jen, a huge thanks to you for investing the time to share your wisdom with those who are seeking it. We think it’s so important for us to share stories with our neighbors, friends and community because knowledge multiples when we share with each other. Let’s jump in: What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
I absolutely love plants and the science around it. This year I taught myself notching, water propagation and did a deep dive into soil and plant nutrients. It’s been amazing watching my plants grow based on these shifts in care.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Jen Baron, the founder and Executive Director of Amplify Arts Project — a music and arts nonprofit that started as a camp for girls and has grown into something much bigger than I ever dreamed. What makes Amplify special is that it’s not just about learning an instrument or making art; it’s about creating a community where young people feel brave enough to take up space, express themselves, and grow into leaders. Over the years we’ve served more than 15,000 youth, launched bands, published zines, hosted showcases, and built a culture of empowerment that sticks with our campers long after the summer ends.
But I’m also someone who’s always thinking about what’s next. Right now I’m building She Thrives Network, a new project for moms and caregivers of teen girls. It’s a coaching and community space designed to give parents the tools, confidence, and support they need to raise strong, resilient daughters in a complicated world. It feels like a natural extension of my work — because when she thrives, we all thrive.
At the end of the day, my story is about building platforms for other people to step into their power. Whether that’s a shy 12-year-old picking up a guitar for the first time, a teen finding their voice onstage, or a mom learning how to support her daughter with more strength and ease — that’s the work that keeps me fired up.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What was your earliest memory of feeling powerful?
The minute I discovered the band Hole. Watching Courtney Love was like power through osmosis. Her give no fucks confidence. Her sheer force on stage. Her naming the things I felt but didn’t have names for. She made me want to pick up a guitar and turn my journal entires into songs. The way I felt playing guitar, sometimes until my fingers were bleeding even is indescribable …. I was hungry to have a voice. I was such a shy kid, but I think mostly that came from having low self confidence, being very self conscious about my body as it developed ahead of a lot of my peers and made me look a lot older than I was – which put me in situations where I was being cat called by adult men often, but was only eleven. I had a lot of fear just walking home from school in broad daylight. Somehow playing music and the Riot Grrrl movement brought a sense of safety to my life and has been a directional pull in my entire being ever since.
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
I have this very early memory of being maybe 5 years old at my Aunts house in Irvine, Ca. It’s Thanksgiving and I’m sitting at the top of her stairs which had a perfect view into the kitchen and dining room and I’m watching the adults having a hard time trying to gather and figure out where to form a line to get their food, how to lay out the food… and I remember thinking “why are they making it so hard, I must be so much smarter than all these adults!” And then this very binary thought of, ” I don’t think I will ever be any smarter than I am right now., in this moment” I wish I could go back and tell her ” your brain is very unique and does recognize systems and order and patterns quickly – but there is a lot of life that comes with just being, just living- things that cannot be taught, just life experience of being a human that has value that is unquantifiable.”
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What’s a belief or project you’re committed to, no matter how long it takes?
100% : women knowing and welding their power.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: When do you feel most at peace?
in a massive rainstorm, all the windows and doors open or being outside. thunder and lightning… I love kinetic energy and negative ions.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.amplifyrocks.org
- Instagram: @amplify_arts_project
Image Credits
Amplify Arts Project
