Jessica Asato is Acting Director of Progress, an independent organisation for Labour Party members which promotes debate and discussion of progressive ideas and policies. Prior to working at Progress, Jessica was a researcher at the Social Market Foundation think tank for three years, and spent a year working as a freelance researcher publishing reports on the issues of demographic change and paying for long-term care. Jessica is a former Chair of the Young Fabians, and has been an Executive Member of the Fabian Society since 2004. Jessica has also been a former Vice-Chair of Young Labour and is active in her local Labour party in Islington North.

Jessica is Chair of Jack Taylor Special School in Camden, and Acting Joint-Chair of Brook which is a charity working to promote better sexual health among young people. In 2008 Jessica set up the Gareth Butler History Trust to raise money to pay for disadvantaged students to go on school history trips. Jessica is an Ambassador for Make Justice Work, a recently launched campaign to raise awareness of the need for penal reform.  Jessica is also a Trustee of Westminster Challenge, a charity which works to bring politicians together to fundraise for charity; she is a Director of Vote for a Change; and is an advisor to Education Action and the European Institute for the Study of Contemporary Anti-semitism. Jessica Asato was educated at Trinity Hall College, Cambridge where she gained a BA in Law and is a Fellow of the RSA.

Jessica is the founder of the first group blog for Labour women at http://labourwomen.blogspot.com . She regularly appears on TV and radio commenting on politics and current affairs.