Meet the Team

We’re not here to tell people who to be — we’re here to help them rise into who they already are.

A woman with long dark hair sitting on the floor, smiling, wearing a gray sleeveless top, white pants, and a purple belt. She has a tattoo of an anchor on her foot, and there is a large green plant and a white table nearby.

  • Founder & Lead Instructor

    Jess Gordon (she/her) is a BC-certified teacher, empowerment self-defense educator, and founder of Arise. With over 15 years of experience working with children, youth, and adults, Jess blends her background in child and youth counseling with her passion for movement, mental wellness, and social-emotional learning.

    She holds a Master’s degree in Health, Outdoor, and Physical Education from UBC and currently teaches with the Vancouver School Board when she’s not working on Arise. Her work focuses on creating trauma-informed, inclusive spaces where people can learn to trust their instincts, set boundaries, and build meaningful confidence.

    “Learning Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and self-defense transformed my life. I had always struggled with my confidence, but through training, I became more grounded, self-assured, and resilient. I created Arise to share these life-changing benefits — to help others feel strong, safe, and fully themselves.”

    Jess has trained in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu since 2016 and is certified as a Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Women Empowered instructor and an accredited Empowerment Self-Defense (ESD) instructor. She is the lead curriculum developer for Arise’s school workshops, women’s programs, and instructor training course, which blends ESD, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and social-emotional learning into a powerful, experiential teaching model.

    Whether she’s leading kids through a summer camp, guiding women through their first self-defense class, or training educators to bring this work into their own communities, Jess brings heart, connection, and practical tools to every session.

    Arise is the culmination of Jess’s education, lived experience, and deep commitment to helping others feel strong, connected, and worthy of safety.

Woman with short black hair wearing a beige sleeveless top, standing with hands on hips, smiling, against a white background, with a detailed black tattoo on her right arm.

  • Assistant Facilitator

    Meet Ashley, a certified trauma-informed mindfulness coach and yoga teacher based in Vancouver, Canada. In addition to her role as a wellness practitioner, Ashley is also a digital creator and runs a home share business with her husband from the comfort of their own home. As an ambassador for BC Women's Foundation and mental health, Ashley is deeply committed to empowering women and children, and is a firm believer in the transformative power of connection and community.

    As a mother of three, Ashley has personally witnessed the positive impact that practicing self-defense and promoting social-emotional awareness can have on children's lives. It's this experience that led her to work with Arise Programs and share their mission with other families in her community. Ashley firmly believes that introducing children to the practices of mindfulness and self-awareness is essential for their personal growth and development, and will help shape their future selves.

A woman with red hair and blue eyes smiling with a brown and orange patterned blanket behind her.

  • Assistant Facilitator