Jean Case

Jean Case
Jean Case
Born	1959; Bloomington, Illinois, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Entrepreneur, writer, philanthropist
Known for	Chairperson of National Geographic board; CEO of Case Foundation and Case Impact Network; co-founder of The ImPact
Notable work	Be Fearless: 5 Principles for a Life of Breakthroughs and Purpose

Adapted from the English Wikipedia article Jean Case, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 9 August 2025

Jean Case (née Villanueva and formerly Wackes, born in 1959) is an American entrepreneur, writer, and philanthropist. She holds the position of chairperson for the National Geographic board, leads the Case Impact Network as CEO, and also serves as CEO of the Case Foundation. She is married to Steve Case, co-founder of AOL.

Early life

Born in Bloomington, Illinois, Case spent her childhood in Normal, Illinois, before moving to Florida. She completed her education at Westminster Academy in Fort Lauderdale, graduating in 1978.

Early career

Case's professional journey started as a marketing manager at the online information provider Source Telecomputing Corporation (The Source). She later joined General Electric’s innovation team at General Electric Information Services (GEnie), focusing on disruptive technologies. Subsequently, she became part of America Online during its formative years, where she held roles including director of marketing, vice president of marketing, and vice president of corporate communications. During her tenure, AOL expanded to reach nearly half of the U.S. households with internet access. She departed from AOL in 1996.

In 1997, together with her husband, she established the Case Foundation. They committed to giving away most of their wealth by joining the Giving Pledge in 2011.

President George W. Bush appointed her chair of the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation in June 2006. The following year, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice invited her to co-chair the U.S.-Palestinian Partnership aimed at fostering economic growth, youth engagement, governance improvements, and private sector investment in the West Bank.

In 2016, she presented a TedxMidAtlantic talk highlighting the significance of innovators throughout American history and their role in modern entrepreneurship.

Addressing inequalities in venture capital funding in 2018, she remarked that while talent is universally present, access to opportunities is not.

By 2021, Case advocated for simplifying stock market entry for novice investors to broaden participation.

Board membership

Since February 2016, Case has been the first female chairperson of the board of trustees for the National Geographic Society. Additionally, she contributes to boards such as the White House Historical Association and the Smithsonian American Women's History Museum. Her previous leadership roles encompass involvement with Stanford's Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society, Georgetown University's Beeck Center for Social Impact & Innovation, the Brain Trust Accelerator Fund, Harvard Business School's Social Enterprise Initiative, the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation, and Malaria No More.

Investments

A prominent figure in impact investing, Case co-founded The ImPact—a collective of family enterprises dedicated to investments that generate measurable social benefits. She also engaged with the U.S. National Advisory Board to the G7 Task Force on Impact Investing.

Her work in impact investments has been covered by major publications such as The New York Times, Financial Times, and Bloomberg News. Alongside Steve Case, she has invested in platforms focused on social good including Network for Good, Causes, and MissionFish. In 2011, she launched Early Mountain Vineyards located in Madison, Virginia, which produces award-winning wines praised by Wine Enthusiast and USA Today. Wine critic Dave McIntyre described Early Mountain in 2018 as "a Virginia winery riding a rocket" in his column for Washington Post.

Awards and recognition

In 2011, Jean and Steve Case were honored as two of the "25 Best Givers" by Barron's, and in 2013, they were recognized among the "9 Most Generous Tech Entrepreneurs" by Fast Company. The couple received the Woodrow Wilson Award for Corporate Citizenship in 2001, bestowed by the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars of the Smithsonian Institution. Additionally, they were awarded the Lifetime of Idealism Award from City Year in 2009 and named Citizens of the Year by the National Conference on Citizenship in 2011.

Jean Case individually earned the title of Corporate Philanthropist of the Year from the Washington Business Journal in 2011. Two years later, in 2013, she was honored with Wake Forest University's Excellence in Entrepreneurship Award and was shortlisted as a finalist for the Washington Business Journal’s "Most Admired Nonprofit CEO." That same year, she also acted as a mentor for the Wall Street Journal "Startup of the Year" program.

In 2014, Jean Case was conferred an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, followed by a comparable honorary degree from George Mason University in 2015. Her election to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences took place in 2016.

The National Venture Capital Association recognized both Jean and Steve Case with the 2020 American Spirit Award, celebrating their leadership in philanthropy. In 2023, Jean Case was invited to deliver the commencement address at Virginia Tech’s graduation ceremony.

Personal life

During her tenure at AOL, Jean Case ended her first marriage and began a relationship with Steve Case. They wed in 1998, with a ceremony officiated by Billy Graham. The couple resided in a mansion located in McLean, Virginia, previously owned by Jacqueline Bouvier, which they later sold in 2018.

Publications

Case, Jean; Be Fearless: 5 Principles for a Life of Breakthroughs and Purpose

External links