Jeff Strew is a Program Manager at Etsy, where he works in Customer Operations. He has experience across technology, entrepreneurship, diplomacy, and international public policy. Previously, he worked at Microsoft and served as a diplomat and senior advisor for the UK Government’s Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO)—the UK’s foreign ministry and equivalent to the US State Department. His UN career spanned political affairs, international development, and economic and social policy, as well as a posting at the Philippine government’s UN embassy. Before joining the UN, Jeff worked for the NYU Center on International Cooperation, a think tank based at New York University.

Outside of his work in technology and public policy, Jeff founded Brooklyn Racquet Stringing, a Brooklyn-based tennis racquet stringing business serving recreational and competitive players.

Jeff earned an MPA from Columbia, an MA in International Relations from NYU, and a BA in Latin American Studies from the University of Washington (UW). Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, he’s a proud graduate of Yakima County public schools and was captain of the tennis team at Eisenhower High School in Washington State.

During his college years in Seattle, Jeff and fellow UW alums Eric Freistadt and Dan Miele co-founded Trasher—a DJ collective and monthly event series that quickly became a cornerstone of UW nightlife. Jeff and Eric also formed Jules & Jim, a Seattle- and New York-based DJ duo known for their genre-spanning sets that included house, techno, and trance.

Jeff comes from a family of immigrants and military veterans who taught him the values of hard work and public service. His mother, a Filipina immigrant, fled the Marcos dictatorship, while his American father of Swedish descent enlisted in the US Army during the Cold War.

An active member of the local community, Jeff volunteers with the Fort Greene Tennis Association, a New York City nonprofit that uses sport to foster community engagement. In his free time, he enjoys playing tennis, going to raves, and schvitzing in saunas. Jeff currently lives in Brooklyn with his wife, Rachel.

CURRENT
Program Manager, Etsy (2026-Present)
Founder & Operator, Brooklyn Racquet Stringing (2026–Present)

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Program Manager, Microsoft (2025)
Senior Policy Advisor, UK Government (2021–2024)
Consultant, United Nations (2021)
Advisor, Philippine Government (2019–2020)
Consultant, United Nations (2018)
Program Officer, NYU Center on International Cooperation (2014–2017)
Intern, United Nations Development Programme (2013–2014)
Program Coordinator, Seattle Chamber of Commerce (2011)

EDUCATION
Columbia University – MPA, Public Administration (2021–2024)
New York University – MA, International Relations (2012–2014)
University of Washington – BA, Latin American Studies (2005–2009)

OTHER
Co-Founder & DJ, Trasher (2008–2011)
Conference Housekeeper, University of Washington (2006)