Jean Case

Jean Case, the first female Chairman of the National Geographic Society in its 131-year history and CEO of the Case Foundation, is a businesswoman, philanthropist, investor, and internet and impact investing pioneer who advocates for the importance of embracing a more fearless approach to innovate and bring about transformational breakthroughs. Her career in the private sector spanned nearly two decades before co-founding the Case Foundation in 1997. Before the Case Foundation, she was a senior executive at America Online, Inc. where she directed the marketing and branding that helped bring AOL to the masses. In addition, Jean currently serves on the boards of National Geographic Partners and the White House Historical Association, as well as on the advisory boards of the Brain Trust Accelerator Fund, Smithsonian American Women’s History Initiative and Georgetown University’s Beeck Center for Social Impact and Innovation. She was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2016 and has received honorary degrees from Indiana University and George Mason University. Be Fearless: 5 Principles for a Life of Breakthroughs and Purpose is her first book.