A native of Hamilton Township, Mercer County, New Jersey, Jenkins attended Steinert High School, where he took an advanced course about government that included presentations from local elected officials and a three-day trip to Washington that allowed him to gain a greater understanding of how government works and was the germ of his interest in politicsyears later. After graduating from the University of Virginia, Jenkins worked as an investment professional for six years in New York and San Francisco, where he worked for Farallon Capital. After moving to California, Jenkins and his wife joined a volunteer group for Barack Obama's Presidential Campaign in 2007 before the Democratic primaries. He later moved to Chicago and became the National Deputy Director of Special Projects for the Obama Campaign. Jenkins served as the founding vice president of Business Forward, an organization that brings entrepreneurs into the policy-making process, before signing on at the White House as associate director for the Office of Public Engagement under Valerie Jarrett. At the White House, Jenkins served as a liaison to the creative community working with executives, celebrities, artists and advocacy leaders. In his role, he also served as a liaison for the comedy video website Funny or Die and was involved in the Emmy-award-winning episode of Between Two Ferns, in which Zach Galifianakis interviewed President Obama about the Affordable Care Act. Several weeks after the interview aired, Jenkins and Jarrett briefed the President in the Oval Office about its widespread critical acclaim and how it was the show's "most successful video." Jenkins recounts this story in depth in West Wingers: Stories from the Dream Chasers, Change Makers, and Hope Creators Inside the Obama White House, a collection of personal stories by Obama Administration staffers. In 2015, it was announced that Jenkins would be named managing director and executive producer of Funny or Die's new Washington, D.C. branch. At Funny or Die DC, Jenkins produces politically themed content and provides consulting services for social media, talent outreach, writing and brand strategy for clients.
