About Us

Jennifer D. Collins, CMP, DES

Empowering Leader / Calming Presence / Moment Maker

As JDC Events’ President and CEO, Jennifer is often coach, therapist, encourager, breadwinner and peacemaker, and still manages to do it all with a smile.

She’s well versed in the art of communication, in tune with what it takes to build a successful business, and to top it off, she’s the author of a book titled Events Spark Change, available on Amazon.

Having started the business as the sole employee in a basement apartment in Washington, D.C., she is proud to have built a company that not only positions clients to build stronger brands, but also changes the lives of their beneficiaries in adopting new skills, learning new ideas that help others or participating in memorable experiences.

A native of Boston, Massachusetts, The American University was the reason for Jennifer’s relocation to Washington, D.C. where she graduated with a B.A. degree in Public Communication. Always cognizant of paying it forward, Jennifer remains active with her alma mater through guest teaching in one of her former professor’s classes (she’s thankful he still invites her after all these years!). She’s served on the Alumni Association Board, the School of Communication’s Dean’s Council, and committed a gift toward construction of the School of Communication’s first-ever building, where an office bears her name.

When not creating transformative experiences for her clients, Jennifer can be found cheering on the New England Patriots (especially when they’re winning Super Bowls!), biking along the picturesque Baltimore-Annapolis Trail and mining her online store of notecards and prints of landscape photos she’s taken. Clearly, one business is simply not enough!

After nearly 20 years under Jennifer’s leadership, JDC Events has grown into an established business and is going strong. Pretty impressive when you consider it all started with one desk and a (mostly) paid-off credit card.

Kara Dao, CEM, DES

Supreme Optimist / Global Event Juggler / Food and Flora Flaunter

As someone who believes everything is possible, Kara is a natural as Chief Operating Officer. Whether working with a client on a shoestring budget or a colleague learning a new task, Kara has an open and approachable nature that makes others feel confident she will help them reach their goals.

When it comes to events, Kara is a true innovator. From simple tweaks that enhance the look of an event to elaborate changes resulting in a complete transformation, she can turn the ordinary into the extraordinary. And she does it with events of all sizes, across multiple time zones and continents. One of the first events of her more than 25-year career was an exhibition that ranked within the top 100 USA tradeshows and the seventh largest IT industry event. She also managed five international trade shows, working with a remote and global team to achieve an 80 percent profit margin. Insurmountable hurdles? Not to Kara. She knows what it takes to hold events within months of terror attacks and hurricanes.

When she’s not being amazing at work, Kara enjoys being with family and growing things. She loves to cook for others and is a pro at whipping up tasty and creative dishes from her garden paradise.

A graduate of George Mason University, Kara studied psychology and gerontology.
She is certified by the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health and has earned both her Certification in Exhibition Management (CEM) and her Digital Event Strategist (DES) certification.