Jody Shipper, J.D., serves as a Co-Founder and Managing Director of Grand River Solutions. A nationally-recognized subject-matter expert with more than 25 years of experience in Title IX and related fields, she is known for her insight into best-in-class programming, policies, and community outreach aimed at addressing sexual misconduct on campus. She lectures extensively at universities and conferences throughout the U.S. on Title IX, VAWA, harassment, and implementation of best and emerging practices.

Prior to founding Grand River Solutions, Jody co-founded Project IX, a nonprofit focused on Title IX-related services to schools with a mission to provide effective solutions for preventing and responding to sexual violence.  Previously, Jody served as the systemwide director for Title IX/VAWA/Clery and sexual assault/sexual violence compliance for the University of California system. Prior to that, she served for 11 years as executive director of the Office of Equity and Diversity at a large, NCAA Division 1 research university where she also held the post of Title IX Coordinator, as well as Chief Diversity Officer, Director of Investigations, and Affirmative Action officer. In these roles, she provided direct, hands-on experience in the fields of Title IX, civil rights, employment law, and workplace and academic investigations. Her responsibilities included focusing on diversity efforts, sexual assault prevention and training, threat assessment, affirmative action, and protecting minors on campus.

Before working in higher education, Jody served as outside counsel to businesses and nonprofits in California, litigating employment and education matters before state and federal courts as well as administrative agencies.

Jody received her J.D. from the University of California, Hastings College of Law and her bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service. She is FETI certified and is the author of the comprehensive reference manual Workplace Investigations: The HR Manager’s Step-by-Step Guide. Jody was also a founding board member of the California Association of Workplace Investigations (now AWI).

Jody also lives with two dogs, two pigs, a varying number of chickens, and has yet to meet an animal with whom she did not hope to have a conversation.