Jessi Cruickshank

Topics

Presentations

Jessi's presentation will cover the following topics...

Born in an A&W
Jessi Cruickshank was born in an A&W restaurant in Calgary, Alberta. She is now developing her own show with the Executive Producers of The Oprah Winfrey Show in Los Angeles. How on earth did she get there? In her candid, interactive and raucously funny speech, Jessi will talk about all of the choices she has made (the good ones and the not so good ones…) that got her to where she is today.

Finding Happiness in a Material World
As the face of MTV and the LA correspondent for eTalk, Jessi talks candidly about navigating a material and pop-culture obsessed world. She opens up about her own experiences working in an industry where quite often how you look is more important than how you think, where your net worth is more relevant than your self worth, and where success is measured by what you have not what you have to give. Revealing a new side of herself, Jessi will empower her young audience to discover that happiness is not about what you have in your life, but what you choose to do with it.

Making the Most of Your College Life
Jessi will speak about how getting involved in school impacted her life and why students should strive to find a similar balance. Cruickshank started a special needs drama program at a local high school, joined the student council, played intramural sports and became involved with Free the Children. Telling a series of wildly funny, honest and relatable anecdotes, Jessi's uncanny ability to relate to young audiences will leave them motivated to create opportunities and make the most of their College experience.

The Power to Create Change
As long time Canadian ambassador for non-profit organization Free the Children, Jessi speaks about her eye opening experiences leaving the comfort of her MTV studio and travelling to rural India and Kenya.  She talks about the pop-culture bubble so many young people in North America get trapped in today and challenges them to pop it, to see beyond the MTV world and discover the power they hold to create positive change in their colleges, communities and in the world.

Host & MC
As the host of a live daily talk show on MTV, broadcast to over 90 million homes across North America, Jessi knows how to work a room. With her signature warmth and wit, Jessi has MC’d and hosted charity fundraisers, private parties, red carpets, award shows, store openings and corporate events all across Canada and the US. Her ability to think on her toes and relate to any crowd makes any event a truly memorable one.

Summary Profile

Jessi Cruickshank became a household name as the face of MTV Canada and the host of MTV's international smash hit The Hills After Show. Following The Hills with her biting commentary and sharp wit, Jessi's The Hills After Show became a cult phenomenon, nominated for 3 Gemini Awards, syndicated in over 10 countries and generating record-breaking ratings in Canada and the US.

With the success of The Hills After Show, Jessi went on to host, produce and write the spin-off prime time pop culture series The After Show where she provided her quick-witted commentary and refreshing perspective on the day's entertainment news. Jessi's self-deprecating humor, irreverent interview style and eclectic flair for fashion quickly made her a fan-favorite on MTV. Jessi has recently re-located to Los Angeles to develop The Untitled Jessi Cruickshank Project with Ellen Rakieten, Executive Producer of The Oprah Winfrey Show.

Born in an A&W restaurant, Jessi grew up in Vancouver B.C and honed her comedy skills as the only girl on an all-male improv troupe alongside Seth Rogen. She then went on to study theatre in London, England and graduated at the top of her class from the prestigious University of Toronto Drama Program. Soon after Jessi was discovered in MTV's nation-wide search and has gone on to interview the likes of Tom Cruise, Zac Efron, Sarah Jessica Parker, the cast of Twilight, Chris Brown, Will Ferrell, Drake, Rhianna and Bill Gates, to name a few. Often pushing the boundaries, Jessi's daring and hilarious interviews with Taylor Lautner, Adam Lambert, Heidi and Spencer and her "date" with Bradley Cooper quickly became online sensations, garnering over a million views worldwide.

On top of hosting her live daily talk-show for MTV, Jessi has been a celebrity guest on E!'s The Soup, co-hosted the 2009 MTV Movie Awards Pre-Show, acted as a judge on Canada's Next Top Model and made guest appearances on Entertainment Tonight, E! True Hollywood Story and NBC News. Last winter, she was hand picked from journalists across the country to cover the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games as the co-host of Olympic Morning on Canada's national network, CTV.

Jessi's ability to connect to her audience has also allowed her to tackle global issues in a refreshingly relatable way. As the ambassador for charity organization Free the Children, Jessi traveled to India in 2008 for the critically acclaimed documentary MTV Presents: Jessi in India, where she encountered child labor, hunger and poverty first hand. In 2009 she produced the much-anticipated follow-up MTV Presents: Jessi in Kenya that documented her experiences living in a mud hut for 10 days with a traditional Massai family. Jessi's social activism has made her a renowned keynote speaker, appearing at national conferences alongside The Dalai Lama, Jane Goodall and Mia Farrow. Last year she teamed up with the cast of the Hills to auction off her designer dresses, raising over 30,000 dollars for charity.

Known for her unique and eclectic sense of style, Jessi has been named TV guide's Best Dressed Host and appeared in top fashion publications Elle, Flare, Fashion and Verve Girl Magazines. In 2008 Lauren Conrad famously named "The Jessi Dress" in her holiday collection, after the fashionable host. That same year Jessi launched her own line for Me to We style which sold out within days, her second collection is due out this winter.

When not working on her new show, Jessi acts as the L.A correspondent for eTalk and made her big screen debut as a lead in the Degrassi: The Next Generation movie. Jessi currently resides in Los Angeles.

Client Testimonials:

"Jessi Cruickshank's speech left a lasting impression and was a stark reminder for me about how happiness is not a function of material goods and constant novelty, but about enjoying whatever you have, even if it is very little. I hope to apply this more in my own life and transmit some of this to my own children."

Professor of Policy, York University

"Year after year at We Day with Free The Children, Jessi has spoken to diverse crowds, from elementary students to adults, teachers and news media and families. Jessi always captures everyone's attention, inspiring them with light-hearted jokes and powerful stories."

Craig Kielburger

"Lethbridge College had the pleasure of enjoying an incredibly meaningful and engaging keynote address by Jessi Cruikshank. Jessi connected with everyone in the audience in such a way that is still talked about today. Passionate, funny, approachable, real and sincere are just a few words that describe her. It didn't matter if you were a student, media representative or senior level administrator, she is authentic. Her presentation was impactful and left you feeling empowered and entertained. Jessi offered a keynote address that helped our students enjoy their orientation experience while, at the same time, sending a message on the importance of having goals and the power to create change - all starting with their decision to go to school. Her stories and experiences captivated the audience age ranging from 17 - 70, she made a connection! I would highly recommend Jessi Cruikshank to be your keynote speaker."

Lethbridge College