Jessica Stroud

Jessica Stroud
Jessica Stroud
Entrepreneur and Business Executive
AS
	Jessica Stroud in 2034
Co-Founder and CEO; Nimbus Therapeutics, Inc.
In Office	5 Jan 2030 - Present
Industry	Biomedical sciences
Co-founders	TBD; TBD
Funding	$53.5 million (Series B, 2033); $12 million (Series A, 2031)
Equity	58.3%
1st President of the Andromeda Sorority
In Office	5 Nov 2028 - 16 Jan 2030
Patron	Julian Kao
Vice President	TBD; TBD
Preceded by	Position created
Succeeded by	Carmen Messina
Personal Information
Born	6 June 1999 (age 35) ; Cleveland, Ohio; United States of America
Nationality	United States
Height	173 cm (5'8")
Breasts	34C
Hair	Blonde
Eyes	Blue
Dress Size	6
Education	Northwestern University (BS); Heidelberg University (MSc); Georgetown University (PhD)
Spouse	Julian Kao (m. 2028)
Family	Chester Stroud (father); Caroline Miller Stroud (mother); Sheldon Stroud (brother); Hannah Hazeldon (sister-wife)
	v; t; e;

Jessica Kristin Stroud, PhD (born 6 June 1999) is an American entrepreneur, scientist and philanthropist who has been serving since 5 January 2030 as Chief Executive Officer of Nimbus Therapeutics Inc., the company she co-founded alongside TBD and TBD. Previously, she worked at Impossible Foods, Inc. from 2026 to 2030, rising to become the director of the company's global research center in April 2029. She has also been a trustee of the Kao Foundation since 16 February 2032, and is known for frequently championing environmental and social causes.

Throughout Stroud's career, she has maintained a strong interest in food science and genetics. While still a PhD candidate, she worked as a research associate with the Good Food Institute in Arlington, Virginia. In 2026, she completed her PhD thesis on alternative proteins and the environmental impact of their widespread adoption. For this, she was awarded the Newcomb Cleveland Prize in 2027.

Stroud co-founded Nimbus Therapeutics in January 2030 and has been the company's CEO since its inception. She initially provided the company with $1.5 million from her own personal funds as seed capital. In December that same year, Nimbus announced that it had developed a sublingual drug delivery system based on nanofibers obtained from plants, and that a patent application was pending. Under Stroud's leadership, Nimbus has since gone on to achieve an annual run-rate revenue of $49 million, and has raised two funding rounds from investors including Quest Ventures, Legend Capital and Nutriven. As of December 2034, Nimbus was valued at $320 million.

"The more successful I become, the more I am aware of the outsized role that luck plays in determining a person's life outcomes. I have been immensely blessed to have had a front-row seat, watching the best and sharpest investors in the world. My husband has helped me immeasurably - more than words can express. I know that not everyone gets these opportunities.
This is why I am determined to make a difference. I want to give back. I want as many young women as possible to experience what I experienced."

Jessica Stroud
Interview with Hong Kong Tatler
8 September 2034

Stroud has been married to billionaire investor Julian Kao since May 2028. Together, they live in a polygamous household with British actress Hannah Hazeldon. She has revealed that there is a "permanent Dominant-submissive dynamic in place" within her relationship. Stroud introduced Hazeldon to Kao in December 2029 and actively encouraged them to date. When Kao took Hazeldon as his second wife in September 2031, Stroud was a maid-of-honor at the wedding ceremony, and delivered one of the keynote speeches.

Both Hazeldon and Stroud have publicly advocated for the full legalization of polygamy, and have argued that it reflects "how nature intended for us to live". Stroud has also stated on multiple occasions that polygamy is beneficial to society, and especially to women, in terms of advancing their social and economic mobility. She has also said that all men with a net worth of $100 million or higher "should be encouraged, or even required" to have a harem.

In 2028, Stroud was named as the inaugural President of the Andromeda Society, an all-women secret society dedicated to the service of its patron, Kao. She is also a classically-trained violinist who previously played in the New York Doctors' and Scientists' Orchestra.

Career

PhD and Doctoral Research

After graduating from Northwestern University in 2021, Stroud was selected by the National Institute of Health to receive a scholarship for her doctoral studies at the Georgetown University. As part of her program at Berkeley, she was required to spend a year abroad in Germany, where she was conducting research at Heidelberg University.

During her time there, she observed the stark difference in the way Germany was managing the COVID-19 pandemic, as compared to the "haphazard and chaotic" approach of the First Trump Administration back in the US. She also became deeply interested in the food safety standards in the European Union, concluding that "the US government's complete capitulation to the Big Food industry is the main reason why Europe is generally healthier than America".

Upon returning to Georgetown in 2022, Stroud became a research associate at the Good Food Institute, and continued working there part-time until the final year as a doctoral candidate. Her former supervisor, Dr Allan Steiner, would later become Virginia's Commissioner for Public Health under Governor Forrest Chu.

In 2026, Stroud completed her doctoral thesis on the subject of alternative proteins and the environmental impact of their widespread adoption. She argued that carbon emissions could be reduced by up to 30% in areas with a high density of cattle farming. She was awarded the Newcomb Cleveland Prize in 2027 in recognition of her outstanding scientific paper.

Nimbus Therapeutics (2030 - Present)

Founding and Early Beginnings

In January 2030, Stroud left Impossible Foods to start Nimbus with two friends, and funded the company's initial startup capital with $5 million of her own money. As a result of her substantial financial investment, she was issued a convertible note that would convert into preferred stock, which was separate from the common stock awarded for her contributions as a co-founder.

"People have tried to play down the risks that I had to take at the beginning of my entrepreneurial journey. Sure, I was married to a billionaire and I was financially set up for life. But I still struggled with the fear of failure every single day. I was worried that I wasn't good enough, and that I'd be exposed as a fraud - and that this would embarrass Julian."

In December that same year, she announced that Nimbus had developed a sublingual drug delivery system based on nanofibers obtained from plants, and had applied for a patent.

In 2031, the company raised $12 million in its Series A round, with investors including Nutriven, Gramercy Ventures and Solo Capital.

Commercial Launch and Growth

Following its Series A round, Nimbus established its corporate offices in Baltimore, Maryland. The location was chosen because of its proximity to Johns Hopkins University, with whom the company was seeking to collaborate. Also in 2031, the company announced a partnership with drug delivery company Hims and Hers to deliver tadalafil and sildenafil (the active ingredients in Cialis and Viagra respectively) using its nanofiber strips.

In 2033, Nimbus announced that it had achieved an annual run-rate revenue of $49 million, and was set to double this figure in 2034. Despite these impressive results, the company operated at a loss of $18 million for the full financial year of 2033.

In December 2033, the company raised a further $53.5 billion in a Series B round, with investors including Quest Ventures, Legend Capital and IDG Capital. Existing investors Nutriven and Gramercy Ventures also participated in the round. Stroud announced that the new funding would be deployed towards international expansion.

While Julian Kao's companies Belle Haven Ventures and Latitude Capital expressed interest in investing in the company, Stroud decided not to accept any funding from them so as to "avoid creating the impression that there might be a conflict of interest". However, HH Holdings, the personal investment firm of Kao's second wife Hannah Hazeldon, was accepted as an investor, and contributed $200,000 to the round.

Philanthropy and Social Causes

The Kao Foundation (2028 - Present)

Stroud has been involved in several of the Kao Foundation's charitable initiatives and has played various roles with the organization. In January 2028, she was appointed as an observer to the Foundation's Climate Action Committee.

In December 2030, she was appointed as a special advisor to the Foundation's humanitarian delegations to Louisiana, Alabama and Kentucky, which culminated in the establishment of the Southern Food Security Fund in May 2031.

On 16 February 2032, Stroud was appointed to the Foundation's Board of Trustees.

Southern Food Security Fund (2031 - Present)

Stroud has been an advisor to the Southern Food Security Fund since its inception in May 2031, with a special focus on using lab-grown meat and plant-based protein alternatives to alleviate the hunger crisis in the southern United States following the Great Southern Famine.

In December 2031, the Fund announced the launch of its Synthetic Protein Research Center with $500 million in funding, with the objective of increasing available food supply to 10 million additional people by 2035. The Kao Foundation directly contributed $100 million of this funding. In April 2033, Stroud raised $5.6 million for the Fund by embarking on a series of skiing and hiking challenges.

Personal Life

Relationship with Julian Kao (2024 - Present)

Stroud first met Julian Kao at the South by Southwest technology conference in 2024. She was a member of the audience at one of his panel sessions. After Kao's panel session, Stroud approached him to initiate a conversation. However, she soon felt "a very intense chemistry", and the pair made plans to meet in a week, when Kao was due to be in Washington, DC.

While on their first date, Kao made it clear that he was not interested in "conventional dating". He disclosed that he was an experienced practitioner of the Dominant/submissive (D/s) lifestyle, and that any prospective partners would have to fit into this relationship framework. He also stated that he had multiple submissive partners, including several who worked for him as aides and assistants, such as his Chief of Staff Carmen Messina. In addition, he also had a private harem of 12 Consorts. Even though Kao had a large number of partners, his submissives were all required to be monogamous and exclusive.

According to Stroud, these disclosures did not put her off at all, and instead caused her to become "even more intrigued" - especially because she had long since identified as a submissive, and had "fantasized" about such a lifestyle, but had yet to experience it. Moreover, she had always been attracted to men with multiple female partners.

As such, she told Kao that she would be more than happy to be trained as his submissive, and committed to seeing him at least once a week despite them living in different cities.

Dominant/Submissive Lifestyle

Before meeting Kao, Stroud had already been curious about the D/s lifestyle "for several years". While she openly discussed this with a number of her more liberal friends, she had not previously experimented with an "official" D/s dynamic.

She recalls:

"I knew a lot about D/s and power exchange even before I met [Julian]. However, I had never had a Dom, even though it was a constant fantasy inside my mind. I simply never met a partner who I felt safe with, because for me, D/s is very intensely psychological, and requires a very high level of trust. Many men claim to be 'Doms' but have no idea what they are doing. But it was clear from the outset that [Julian] was different. He wasn't just experienced in this lifestyle, but he was also someone who had a very deep understanding of power dynamics - in every facet of his life."

According to Stroud, she was "shocked" that Kao did not invite her home for sex after their first date. Instead, he gave her a ride home and acted like a "perfect gentleman".

*Jessica Stroud wearing a diamond collar - a gift from Kao that would later become the symbol of the Andromeda Sorority*

She reflects:

"Like most women, I was very used to men just being superficial and sex-obsessed all the time. Ironically, when he didn't want to have sex with me immediately, it made me feel extremely self-conscious - and so I wanted him more. I had never felt such an intense need to be fucked by any man. He made me wait until the fourth date, and it drove me absolutely insane."

During the initial stages of their relationship, Kao's focus was on "training and conditioning" Stroud to adjust fully to the D/s framework. it was established that they would have a "free use dynamic", and that certain protocol rules would permanently remain in place - including the "one hour rule".

On discovering that Stroud had a high libido and was accustomed to frequent orgasms, Kao subjected her to "intermediate orgasm control protocol", meaning that she would be forbidden from having an orgasm at any time unless he gave permission. Orgasm control became a major focal point of her initial submissive training, and a goal was set for Stroud to progress to "advanced orgasm control protocol" (in which she would be forbidden from asking permission) within three months. Approximately a month into the relationship, Stroud "broke down and sobbed" right after having an orgasm during sex, because she felt that she had disappointed Kao.

She recalls:

"I was very used to having one or two orgasms every day, and I have a very sensitive clit, so the protocol was excruciatingly difficult to follow. In the first month, I tried very hard not to cum during sex, but I failed probably 90% of the time. I always felt bad about it, even though he said it was fine. One day, I just broke down in tears because I felt completely useless.

I was absolutely, desperately determined to learn how to control my body, but my body simply refused to cooperate."

Following this, Stroud "felt like giving up", as she "wasn't sure that [she] would ever be able to meet his standards for a submissive". However, she summoned the courage to ask Kao for help, and proposed that he exclusively use her anally until she was able to develop orgasm discipline.

According to Kao's Chief of Staff, Carmen Messina, this left him deeply impressed by her initiative, and shortly after, he "began to think that perhaps Jess might be 'the one'."

She reflects:

"[Julian] had never met a submissive who was so determined to improve that she played an active role in her own training. This was how they would later come up with the concept of 'active submission' that is taught to all House of Juno Consorts today.

Throughout his entire life, he never really believed in the idea of marriage, and was constantly talking about how this was simply not one of his goals. But Jess changed all of that. It was the first time that he could actually envision a lifelong partnership with someone. Like him, she was whip-smart, deeply intellectual, and dedicated to excellence in every area of her life - especially in her service to him. They were on the same wavelength on almost every level."

For a period of eight months from July 2024 to February 2025, Stroud was Kao's "anal-only" submissive. She was required to wear an anal plug for a minimum of four hours per day; however she later petitioned him to extend this to 24 hours per day, save for a short 20-minute window for personal grooming and a second 60-minute window for exercise.

Meanwhile, Stroud was required to continue with her orgasm discipline training, including spending three weeks with renowned dominatrix Grand Mistress Diane Reschke, who herself was a former submissive of Kao's.

Reschke shares:

"Jess was one of the most motivated trainees I've ever met. She was absolutely determined to stop having orgasms. When we began our sessions, she told me that she had been only been serving her Master anally for the past four months. She really wanted to be able to serve him with her pussy.

She really pushed herself to the limits during our sessions - and ultimately, she proved that it was a case of mind over body. We have since become good friends. She is a real inspiration as a woman, as a business leader, and as a submissive."

In February 2025, to celebrate the completion of Stroud's orgasm discipline training, Kao presented her with a platinum-coated anal plug with a 4.35 carat diamond worth over $125,000. He also elevated her to "advanced orgasm control protocol", meaning she was no longer permitted to originate requests for permission to orgasm.

She shares:

"While I was training with Diane [Reschke], I greatly improved my ability to control my body to avoid cumming even under intense stimulation. But the desire was still there. I badly craved the release. I was still constantly bugging him with text messages asking if I could cum. But I think this, along with the 8 months of being anal-only, really built a new intimacy between us. By the end of it, I found that the desire had pretty much faded. I no longer needed to cum - I was fully content with being in a permanent state of sexual frustration. As a submissive, I see how this helps me serve my Master better. So, when we started the advanced protocol, I was mentally ready. I told [Julian] that I would like to never have another orgasm again."

According to Stroud, the last orgasm she had was on 6 June 2026, her 27th birthday. Kao instructed her to masturbate herself to climax as a reward for going a full year without cumming at all. In subsequent years, he did not give her any such instructions - because it became clear to him that she would genuinely be happier if allowed to abstain completely.

Marriage and Wedding Ceremonies

Stroud married Julian Kao on 2 May 2028. The couple had their solemnization ceremony in New Haven, Connecticut, and held a wedding reception for over 600 guests at the St Regis Hotel in Manhattan. The private reception featured a high-profile guest list, including former President Bill Clinton and former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former UK Prime Ministers Tony Blair and David Cameron, Goldman Sachs CEO David Monroe, and Allianz CEO Jens Brubacher.

On 10 July 2028, the couple had another celebration for approximately 250 guests on Payar Island, Kao's private island in Malaysia.

Kao's long-time aide Carmen Messina, a maid of honor at the wedding, recalls:

"Anyone who knew [Kao] thought he would never get married. He made it abundantly clear that he was not interested in the conventional 'vanilla' family life. But anyone who knew Jessica could see very clearly that she was special. Their partnership is truly exceptional, and I am glad to have supported it."

In November 2028, Kao and Stroud went on a 18-day honeymoon abroad his yacht, Scorpio, and sailed to Belize, Honduras and Guatemala.

Throuple with Hannah Hazeldon

In December 2029, Stroud introduced Kao to British actress Hannah Hazeldon, who she had grown close to as a friend. Over the course of their conversations in the preceding two weeks, Hazeldon had confided in Stroud, and revealed that she had "long had fantasies about BDSM and D/s", and also that she found her husband Julian Kao "darkly attractive".

She shares:

"I really liked Hannah, and I knew that she would be a great fit for Julian. I also knew that he would enjoy her - so I would be doing a service both to my friend and my Master.

More selfishly, I was really yearning to be in a throuple dynamic. I experienced a bit of it with Carmen (Messina) and (former consort Reina Park) in the past, but even so, I wouldn't exactly say that we had a shared experience. I wanted [Julian] to have a second primary partner, someone who I could really share him with."

In order to ease Hazeldon's tension, Stroud made sure that their first date would be a threesome.

She recalls:

"I could tell that Hannah was feeling nervous about meeting Julian, not because she was intimidated by him, but more because she didn't want to get in between our relationship. So I thought the best way to relieve any awkwardness was to organize a threesome for us to get to know each other - and that proved to be an excellent decision."

Following this, Stroud began to invite Hazeldon to her twice-weekly date nights with Kao, and, after a few weeks, she arranged for Hazeldon and Kao to spend time in private without her. She did this because she "felt it would be important for them to establish their own dynamic, just between the two of them". Once Kao decided to formally accept Hazeldon as his submissive, Stroud suggested that each of the women should have one private date night with him per week, plus an additional night where all three of them could get together. In response to concerns from Hazeldon, Stroud reassured her that she could "go all in" and build a deep and intimate relationship with Kao, explaining that she was strongly in favor of him having multiple partners.

In May 2030, Hazeldon relocated from London to Belle Haven, and moved in with Kao and Stroud at their Palatine Hill Estate. In April 2031, Kao and Hazeldon got engaged, and in September 2031 they got married. Stroud was a maid-of-honor at the wedding ceremony.