In 1987, Jan’s obsession with anime overpowered her common sense (and ardent desire to remain stuck forever as a Radio Shack salesperson) and she moved to Japan to pursue a career in the anime industry. She attended the International Animation Institute where she was made a teacher almost a year before graduation. She went on to work at a number of small production companies learning about the various stages of the animation production process. Despite the best efforts of the Japanese Immigration Bureau (bad attitude) and the Chinese Army (bad marksmanship) to keep her from her goal, Jan went to work for Artland in 1989 in the production department, a first for a foreigner. She worked on RikiOh 2, Locke the Superman (OVA), Shurato (OVA), Bubblegum Crash (OVA) and Tottoi (feature).    With the experience of teaching animation production techniques all around Asia, Jan founded her own full production company, TAO Corporation Ltd., in Bangkok, Thailand in 1991. TAO did work on Moldiver, Diary of Mikan, Genocyber and SWAT Kats amongst others. In 1994, Jan moved into consulting work, freelancing for Cambridge Animation Systems the developers of Animo (a computer assisted (2D) animation production system).    Also in 1994, Jan co-founded GENESIS Digital Publishing Company with Izumi Matsumoto (Kimagure Orange Road) where they created Comic ON, a CD-ROM manga compendium in which Jan made her manga debut with her original digital graphic novel Transcendence. The first volume of Comic ON was released in 1996 and it went on to be the one of the top selling non-game CD-ROM titles in Japan of that year.    In 1995 she went to work for Production I.G (Ghost in the Shell, Blood) as the president of Production I.G. USA and a producer and technical director on the Japanese side. She was technical director of the animation for the Grandstream Saga, Madou Monogatari, and Kyoushin Senki games as well as working on the Panzer Dragoon OVA. She left Production IG in early 1998 to pursue a career as a freelance director.    In 1999 Jan directed episodes of Susie-chan & Marvy (TV) and spent most of the year working on the development of original TV series projects.  　In 2000, Jan moved back to the USA to work at Celsys USA on the development of the next generation of the RETAS digital production system. She continues to develop original projects for television, OVA, music video and feature film release, music videos and commercials. She has worked as a manga translator (Scryed, Psychic Academy, Here is Greenwood, Pink Sniper) and has done anime translation as well (Dead Leaves, etc.)    Jan has traveled extensively throughout Asia and the US teaching animation techniques and speaking at conventions. She has also written and co-written magazine articles and textbooks about cel production, animation, and computer animation.    She produced Voices for Peace, an album advocating world peace with vocals by popular voice actors Greg Ayres, Christopher Ayres, Chris Patton, Tiffany Grant, Brittney Karbowski, Kira Vincent-Davis, Jamie McGonnigal, Mike Sinterniklaas, Amanda Winn Lee and herself. Art for the album was donated by Robert DeJesus, Doug Smith, Rikki & Tavi, Steve Bennett, Kevin Bolk and herself. The music is done by a group of Chicago area musicians and she played harmonica on the album. All proceeds from the album are donated to the charities Doctors Without Borders and C.A.R.E. Voices For's second album, Voices for Tolerance, is currently in production. For more information:. www.voicesfor.org   Jan also does body art (both henna art and tattoo design), plans and throws amazing parties, translates Japanese manga and anime shows into English and is working hard to learn to teach yoga.