Jennifer Prediger likes to inspire laughter, provoke thought and effect positive change. As a video journalist and director, Jennifer uses imagination, irreverence, research and humor to communicate big ideas to diverse audiences. Major themes in her work include sustainability, consumption, climate change, new urbanism, agriculture and how to do unlikely things yourself (eg, making Twinkies). Jennifer has reported from locales as far-flung as Burkina Faso, Denmark and Iceland. She has interviewed Thom Yorke of Radiohead, Tom Hanks, Tom Friedman and many interesting people without the name Tom. She has produced videos on BarelyPolitical.com, Newsweek.com, Nerve.com, Babble.com, Current TV, the Onion News Network, and Washingtonpost.com. Her videos have been featured on The Huffington Post, Yahoo, MySpace, YouTube, Pitchfork, KIAH-TV in Houston TX, and The Onion A.V. Club.

For the past two years, Jennifer has been the creator and face of Grist.org's popular video advice column, "Ask Umbra." She works frequently as a voiceover artist and recently acted in an independent feature film. You can see her dish out workplace advice as "Hey Penny" on SlateV.

Jennifer's other interests include boxing, improv, human beings and her cat "Pigeon." She enjoys learning to cook beautiful food from a CSA. Her favorite phrase is Joie de Vivre. Jennifer lives in Brooklyn, NY.