Jessica P. Hansen, Executive Director/CEO of Alliance for Smiles, received two major awards at the 2026 Women Changing the World Global Summit in Paris on April 22. Jessica was awarded the organization’s highest honor – 2026 Woman of the Year – and also took home Gold in the Humanitarian Impact category.
This year’s awards saw over 1,500 nominations from 97 countries, highlighting the extraordinary global impact of women leading change across industries and communities.
The Women Changing the World Awards celebrate and recognize women achieving outstanding impact and success in areas such as sustainability, humanitarian work, leadership, advocacy, education, health and innovation. The awards are designed to recognize the growing number of women who are leading the way in making the world a better place for all and to inspire other women and the next generation to make a difference.
Jessica has been recognized for her 20+ year career spanning humanitarian work with refugees and those impacted by poverty in programs focused on protection, education, healthcare, and social impact. Some of her achievements include resettling more than 11,000 Burundian refugees across 108 cities in the United States after almost 40 years in camps; working on gender-based violence prevention and anti-human trafficking work for organizations like UNHCR, the Women’s Refugee Commission, and the International Rescue Committee; launching and scaling education and literacy programs across rural Africa; creating and leading internationally award-winning education and social impact campaigns at organizations like Kiva, Lyft, and Twilio.org, which have been recognized in major outlets like Oprah Magazine, USA Today, and People.
Since joining Alliance for Smiles (AfS), Jessica has led the organization to undertake medical missions and training programs across Africa, Asia, and the Americas. AfS has provided more than 9,000 free cleft surgeries to children in underserved communities around the world, while also training and equipping local medical teams to sustainably provide long-term cleft care and improve access of wider communities to the quality healthcare they need and deserve.
Outside of AfS, Jessica continues to make a global impact as Vice President of the Board of the West African Volunteer Organization (WAVO) focused on protecting, educating and empowering young people in Ghana, and through her service with Mystopia, an organization which helps create safe spaces for the LGBTQIA+ community in the United States. Jessica is a published author, hosts The HumanKind Project podcast, volunteers her time to community projects and global polio prevention campaigns through the Rotary Club of San Francisco, and more, all as part of her deep commitment to equity, healthcare access, and human rights.
Jessica believes deeply that the wellness of any is tied to the wellness of all, and there is nothing more important to her than to ensure that everyone has access to safety, fundamental rights, and opportunity.
Jessica says, “This is truly the honor of a lifetime and nothing I ever imagined possible. It’s a gift to do such meaningful work with my days, and none of us are in this for recognition or awards. I am deeply grateful to the founders and judges of Women Changing the World for this recognition, and I share it with the many, countless people who have been essential to any positive impact I’ve ever made in the world, and many more globally who have also devoted their lives to protect all that’s good and change all that’s not. I’m so grateful to have connected with my fellow nominees, who stand as beautiful testimony to the incredible caliber of people in every sector who not only believe that a better world is possible, but are dedicating their time and energies to making it a reality. I am humbled and honored beyond words.”
She is committed to continuing to make an impact through her work, as she has throughout her life. “When I was young, my mother, who is from Thailand, shared about challenges like poverty, gender inequality, lack of access to healthcare and education, and dangers like human trafficking and gender-based violence. My entire life has been dedicated to dismantling the systems and structures that keep these challenges in place, and removing the barriers that keep people from living safely, well, and fully.”
Her vision for the future is to continue leading and growing this movement to eradicate systems of oppression, injustice, and inequality at their roots, and help build the foundations for a better, safer, more just world for all.
