Hi, I'm Jenny. I'm a writer and software developer based in Toronto, Canada, a city built on the traditional lands of the Anishinaabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee, the Mississauga of the Credit, and the Wendat peoples. I love Toronto so much I've written two separate essays about it (2018, 2025), which is slightly embarrassing in a pleasant sort of way.
I go by phire, phirephoenix, or phirework in most places on the internet. If you're trying to remember how you know me, it's probably from Twitter (RIP), Metafilter, or a politics newsletter I used to write called Fight Fire With Phire. These days I mostly hang out on the Fediverse and Bluesky, and occasionally log my books and movies when I remember to.
I run Show Up Toronto, a calendar and weekly newsletter of organizing and activism events in the city of Toronto. I also organize with Tech Workers Coalition Canada, the Canadian chapter of a global organization of rank-and-file tech workers who want to build labour power in our notoriously labour-hostile industry.
My day job is the least interesting thing about me, but mostly I've been a fullstack developer. I've worked in agencies, non-profits, open source, governments, startups, and massively profitable public companies. This has made me somewhat jaded about how organizations work and gently allergic to women-in-tech events. I still like writing code.
You can reach me by email at jenny at phirework dot com. If something I've written has resonated with you, I would love to hear from you. Also, if you have questions about how you can get plugged into community or labour organizing in Toronto, please reach out! I am not an expert but I can point you to one.
If you really hate something I've written, feel free to tell someone else. Life is short and I will die one day.