Jessica Beeson Tocco, President of Shepherd Strategies, has been recognized in The Top 100 Innovators & Entrepreneurs, a feature published by The Top 100 Magazine spotlighting leaders reshaping their industries.
The profile traces Jessica’s path over more than two decades in government affairs, including her leadership of a previous firm that earned a spot on the Boston Business Journal’s Fast 50 List in both 2024 and 2025 and was recognized among the nation’s top-performing government relations firms for six consecutive years.
Rather than build further on that model, Jessica set out to build something different. As president of Shepherd Strategies, the piece notes, she leads with a simple belief: results, not affiliations, should drive success.
According to the feature, Shepherd Strategies was founded on the idea that the traditional playbook built around legislative advocacy no longer matches how government funding actually moves. As appropriations have declined, agencies have leaned more heavily on grants, loans, tax credits, and contracts to get money to the ground. Shepherd Strategies built its practice around that shift, helping clients identify and secure those opportunities directly rather than pushing for new legislation, with measurable return on investment as the guiding metric.
The profile highlights the firm’s nonpartisan structure as a deliberate choice. Jessica has built a team that spans the political spectrum, which the feature credits with keeping Shepherd Strategies focused on client outcomes rather than political alignment.
That data-driven approach extends to identifying where funding exists, who controls it, and what it takes for a client to access it, paired with hands-on support through registration, applications, and compliance.
The feature points to the track record behind that approach: since 2011, Jessica has helped clients secure more than $2 billion in funding and contributed to the creation of over 5,000 jobs. The piece also touches on her approach to leadership more broadly, balancing those results with her commitments to her team and her family.
Looking ahead, the profile positions Jessica and Shepherd Strategies at the forefront of a changing industry, not just adapting to where government relations is headed, but helping shape it.
The Top 100 Innovators & Entrepreneurs
Page 50 · TheTop100Magazine.com
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