Jess Grossman

Jess Grossman (born 1989)[1] is a Canadian ostomy health advocate, entrepreneur, and occasional actress. Based in Toronto, she is best known for founding the digital campaign Uncover Ostomy and for her work as founder and CEO of the marketing agency, In Social. Her public work focuses on raising awareness of ostomy surgery and reducing the stigma surrounding it. Her advocacy and public presence have been covered in People, Global News, CityNews Toronto, and Yahoo! Style Canada.[1][2][3][4]

Early life and education

Grossman was born and raised in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. At age eight she was diagnosed with Crohn's disease and, following severe complications, underwent ostomy surgery at age thirteen.[1][2]

She later earned a master's degree in Graphic Communications Management and Technology from New York University. In 2013, she received the Bart Lawson Award for Service – Humanitarianism from the NYU School of Professional Studies for her advocacy work.[5]

Advocacy career

In 2009, Grossman founded Uncover Ostomy, a digital awareness campaign to document life with an ostomy bag and help others feel visible and empowered. The initiative combines candid photography, personal storytelling and public outreach.[1][2][4]

Her advocacy work often includes visual campaigns showing her ostomy bag openly to promote acceptance and destigmatization. She has been featured in People, Global News, CityNews Toronto, and Yahoo! Style Canada, which profiled her work and its impact on public attitudes toward ostomy care.[1][2][3][4]

Grossman has also spoken at public health and patient-advocacy events, including Let's Talk Ostomy – Keeping It Real! organized by Colorectal Cancer Canada.[6]

In an interview published by the Canadian Journal of Surgery, she was described as a "digital marketer, actress, and model" advocating for openness about stomas and body image.[7]

Acting

Grossman has appeared in independent film productions. Her most substantiated role is in the feature film Belushi's Toilet (2018), in which she is credited as "Rachel" in independent film listings.[8] The film has been reviewed in outlets such as UK Film Review.[9]

She is also listed on IMDb as having appeared in the television docuseries A Time to Kill (2021), although independent verification of that casting has not been located.[10]

Selected filmography

YearTitleRoleNotes
2018Belushi's ToiletRachelFeature film; confirmed via Moviefone.[8]
2021A Time to KillCorey ParkerListed on IMDb; independent confirmation pending.[10]

Business and digital marketing career

Grossman is the founder and chief executive officer of In Social, a Toronto-based digital marketing agency offering services including social media strategy, advertising, website development, and content production.[11]

According to PartnerStack, she founded the agency in 2015, and by 2022 it employed over twenty people working across marketing strategy, paid and organic social media, email automation, and influencer outreach.[12]

Her role as founder and CEO has also been identified in industry interviews and talks.[13]

Personal life

Grossman's father, Jonathan Paul Grossman, was diagnosed with myelofibrosis in 2009, prompting a nationwide bone marrow donor campaign; he later received a transplant but died on 30 August 2009 from complications.[14][15]

Grossman follows a vegan diet and has discussed how she manages it while living with an ostomy, offering dietary advice to other ostomates in interviews.[16]

She contributed a first-person chapter, "The Reason I'm Alive", to Extraordinary Canadians: Stories from the Heart of Our Nation, edited by Peter Mansbridge and Mark Bulgutch (Simon & Schuster Canada, 2020).[17][18]

Grossman was diagnosed with Rectal Cancer in November, 2025. After celebrating the ten year anniversary of her marketing agency, Grossman was experiencing pain and was advised by her doctor to go to the hospital. An emergency room doctor initially dismissed her pain, but she pushed for further testing which led to the cancer diagnosis. [19]

In scholarship

Uncover Ostomy has been analyzed in peer-reviewed research on online health communities and stigma. A New Media & Society article examined the platform and its Facebook community as a case study of how ostomy stigma is challenged and social support is fostered online.[20] Subsequent research in Psychology & Health and other journals has cited Grossman and Uncover Ostomy when discussing body image, chronic illness, and online health communities.[21]

Impact and recognition

Grossman's advocacy has been credited with helping to shift perceptions of ostomy patients through open discussion and visual storytelling. Her campaigns have inspired others facing similar surgeries to speak publicly about their experiences and reduce stigma around ostomy care.[1][2][3][4]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Toronto Woman Promotes Ostomy Bag Awareness Through Her Nonprofit and Social Media". People. October 2019. Retrieved 14 October 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "'Ostomy doesn't have to define you': Toronto woman fights to end stigma". Global News. October 2019. Retrieved 14 October 2025.
  3. 1 2 3 "Toronto woman uses the power of social media to raise awareness for ostomy". CityNews Toronto. 24 February 2023. Retrieved 14 October 2025.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Canadian model Jessica Grossman is on a mission to normalize ostomies". Yahoo! Style Canada. October 2019. Retrieved 14 October 2025.
  5. ↑ "Alumni Awards – Awards that are no longer offered". NYU School of Professional Studies. New York University. Retrieved 14 October 2025. 2013 Award for Humanitarianism — Jessica Grossman '12 MA Graphic Communications Management & Technology
  6. ↑ "Let's Talk Ostomy – Keeping It Real!". Colorectal Cancer Canada. Retrieved 14 October 2025.
  7. ↑ "E74 Jessica Grossman on Life with a Stoma". Canadian Journal of Surgery. Retrieved 14 October 2025.
  8. 1 2 "Belushi's Toilet – Full Cast & Crew". Moviefone. Fandango Media. Retrieved 14 October 2025. Jessica Grossman – Rachel
  9. ↑ "Belushi's Toilet – Indie Film Review". UK Film Review. 14 July 2018. Retrieved 14 October 2025.
  10. 1 2 "Jessica Grossman". IMDb. Retrieved 14 October 2025.
  11. ↑ "In Social Incorporated – Business Directory". Western University Alumni. Western University. Retrieved 14 October 2025.
  12. ↑ "Jess Grossman – Author Profile". PartnerStack. Retrieved 14 October 2025. After earning her master's degree from NYU, Jess founded In Social in 2015. Seven years later, In Social employs over 20 people…
  13. ↑ "Jess Grossman, Founder & CEO of In Social (LinkedIn Live)". YouTube. Members Only / Shopify Plus. Retrieved 14 October 2025.
  14. ↑ "Jonathan Paul Grossman Obituary". Toronto Star (via Legacy.com). 31 August 2009. Retrieved 14 October 2025. After a successful bone marrow donor drive… Jonathan passed away peacefully on Sunday, August 30, 2009.
  15. ↑ Stricker, Laura (23 December 2010). "Bone marrow drives held across Canada". The Canadian Jewish News. Retrieved 14 October 2025.
  16. ↑ "Jessica Grossman from Uncover Ostomy: Ostomate Q&A". VeganOstomy. Retrieved 14 October 2025.
  17. ↑ Mansbridge, Peter; Bulgutch, Mark, eds. (2020). Extraordinary Canadians: Stories from the Heart of Our Nation. Simon & Schuster Canada. ISBN 978-1-982134-52-5. Retrieved 14 October 2025.
  18. ↑ "Extraordinary Canadians — Table of contents". National Network for Equitable Library Service. Retrieved 14 October 2025. Includes "The Reason I'm Alive / Jessica Grossman."
  19. ↑ Kaur, Wendy (2026-02-20). "Toronto model Jess Grossman says an ER doctor 'brushed off' her pain. Then, she was diagnosed with rectal cancer". Yahoo! Style Canada. Retrieved 2026-02-23.
  20. ↑ Frohlich, Dennis O.; Zmyslinski-Seelig, Anne N. (2016). "How Uncover Ostomy challenges ostomy stigma, and encourages others to do the same". New Media & Society. 18 (2): 220–238. doi:10.1177/1461444814541943. Retrieved 14 October 2025.
  21. ↑ "Educators, warriors and reformers: A thematic analysis of how ostomates narrate their experiences". Psychology & Health. 2024. doi:10.1177/13591053241272205. Retrieved 14 October 2025.
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