Jenna Petok, Founder & Principal

Jenna is a leader in experience strategy who is passionate about connecting communities through the power of place. Combining an entrepreneurial spirit with expertise in real estate and neighborhood development, and a background in arts & culture, media, and technology, she creates innovative solutions that activate spaces and foster meaningful connections.

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As the founder of PlaceSmart, Jenna's consulting practice specializes in placemaking and customer experience, delivering tailored strategies that engage communities, elevate brands, and build strategic partnerships. With a proven track record of value creation through community development, she has worked for top NYC real estate developers to transform landlords into customer-focused brands, and neighborhoods into destinations.

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Jenna previously served as Global Head of CX for Host – CBRE's tenant experience platform. Additional past projects include brand positioning and partnerships for REEF Technology, St. John’s Terminal (Oxford Properties/Google), Pacific Park Brooklyn, the Tata Innovation Center at Cornell Tech (Forest City Ratner), and Long Island City, Queens (LIC Partnership). Jenna’s early career includes managing creative solutions at Time Out New York, public relations at Alvin Ailey Dance Foundation, and teaching dance in Lugano, Switzerland.

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Jenna lives in Westport, CT, where she serves on the Downtown Plan Implementation Committee and is an officer of Bike Westport. She loves discovering the best parks, hiking and biking trails, and breakfast spots with her husband and two young sons.