Biography

Jen Hamaker grew up in Oregon, on the native soil of the mighty Douglas fir—the very tree species her family’s company grew and milled into lumber. Surrounded by forests, rivers, and hardworking people, Jen developed both a deep love for the outdoors and a strong work ethic at an early age. She remains an outdoor enthusiast at heart, finding her greatest peace sitting around a campfire with a warm cup of coffee or rolling up her pant legs to wade into a stream in search of crawdads.

Blessed with an entrepreneurial spirit, Jen has owned or co-owned several businesses throughout her life. In her early twenties, she and her husband opened and operated a deli for several years. She later joined forces with her mother and three siblings to launch an ambitious venture—WaterBabies LLC. Together, as a small family team, they took a product from concept to reality, developing prototypes, securing patents, designing packaging and point-of-sale displays, overseeing manufacturing and importing, and ultimately selling the product nationally and internationally. This experience shaped Jen into a versatile business leader with hands-on expertise in innovation, operations, and team-driven success.

In 2004, Jen moved with her children to sunny California, where she founded the Coffee Cabin, a drive-thru coffee shop in the Santa Ynez Valley. The Coffee Cabin quickly became a beloved community staple and was voted the Valley’s Best Coffee House nine out of its eleven years in operation. In 2011, after marrying her second husband, who was stationed with the U.S. military in San Diego, Jen relocated her family once again—yet continued to successfully lead the business remotely using early video technology, daily communication, and strong leadership systems. She remains especially proud of sustaining excellence and connection across distance and change.

Jen’s leadership and advocacy expanded beyond business in 2019, when Oregon’s proposed Cap and Trade legislation sparked widespread concern across rural and resource-based communities. Jen stepped onto the front lines as an active organizer with TimberUnity, which rapidly grew into the most powerful grassroots movement in Oregon’s history. When TimberUnity later dissolved in 2022, its mission lived on through the formation of Oregon Natural Resource Industries (ONRI). Jen was unanimously voted President and continues to serve in that role today, championing farm, timber, and rural families through education, outreach, and civic engagement.

Today, Jen also brings creativity directly into the classroom, teaching kindergarten through sixth-grade art. She finds deep joy in watching students discover their own magic and confidence through self-expression, color, and imagination.

Above all else, Jen is a devoted wife and mother. She is married to the love of her life and is the proud mother of Morgan (26), Rylan (22), and Jake (13). Of all her roles, being “Mom” is the one she treasures most. She has volunteered in classrooms, coached sports, and is often found surrounded by a joyful herd of kids as her family embraces a true “the more, the merrier” philosophy in both daily life and grand adventures.