Hey, Alexa, tell me about your co-creator’s Wright State alumni award

When you call out, “Hey, Alexa,” to Amazon’s voice assistant, and it responds to your question, know that you have Wright State University alum Joe Jessup to thank in part.

As a senior software development manager at Amazon Web Services, Jessup helped build some of the company’s most notable products, including Just Walk Out, which is the technology behind the Amazon Go stores, and Alexa, the artificial intelligence voice.

Jessup’s latest accomplishment was receiving the 2025 Raj Soin College of Business Outstanding Alumnus Award from the Wright State University Alumni Association.

The Cincinnati native earned a bachelor’s degree in management information systems from Wright State in 1998.

Ten years ago, Jessup decided to get more involved with Wright State to show his appreciation for the place that helped him launch his career. In 2015, he helped organize an event at the United Nations in New York City for the $167 million Rise. Shine. Campaign for Wright State University. He is also an active member of the Raj Soin College of Business Corporate Advisory Board.

“The biggest thing that Wright State’s done for me was giving me a strong foundation,” he said. “It’s been a stepping stone for me to be able to do bigger things than I imagined. Wright State gave me background and education that I could use and to actually thrive in a dynamic environment.”

Joe Jessup, a senior software development manager at Amazon Web Services, received the 2025 Raj Soin College of Business Outstanding Alumnus Award.

He added, “This award is a nice recognition. I find it rewarding coming back to the university and being part of the Corporate Advisory Board. I like the recognition, but honestly, the reward I get is from the satisfaction of the Wright State community and helping the school grow and evolve.”

In 2018, Jessup and his wife, Amy Patrick, honored their daughter, Sadie, by establishing the Sadie Quinn Patrick Jessup Endowed Scholarship to support undergraduate students in the Raj Soin College of Business or computer science students in the College of Engineering and Computer Science.

“Wright State is part of my own life and background,” he said. “I remember being one person before I went to Wright State and feeling like a different, better person after graduating. I want to make sure others have that opportunity and get that experience and help Wright State do even more than it did for me.”