Board Member

Laurene Powell Jobs

Laurene Powell Jobs

Founder and President, Emerson Collective

Laurene Powell Jobs is founder and president of Emerson Collective. Using philanthropy, investing, storytelling, and convenings, Emerson Collective creates opportunities and develops innovative solutions to spur change in education, the environment, immigration, and health equity.

Her commitment to renewing America’s calcified social systems deepened over two decades ago with her work in education. In 1997, she founded College Track, a college completion program where she remains board chair, to address the alarming opportunity and achievement gaps among students. She is also cofounder and board chair of the XQ Institute, the nation’s leading organization dedicated to transforming the American high school. In keeping with her belief in supporting journalism as a vital civic institution, Laurene is owner and board chair of The Atlantic.

Powell Jobs also serves on the boards of Chicago CRED, The Ford Foundation, and Elemental Excelerator, where she is board chair. In addition, she is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and a recipient of Stanford Graduate School of Business’s Ernest C. Arbuckle Award for managerial excellence and addressing the changing needs of society. She is based in Palo Alto, California.

Top Stories on CFR

Indonesia

Prabowo Subianto was named the winner of the Indonesian presidential election. But it is unclear which version of Prabowo—the more moderate candidate from the campaign trail or the self-styled strongman—will govern Indonesia.

Russia

The mass casualty theater attack in Moscow was a reminder that affiliates of the Islamic State have reorganized and infiltrated even powerful states.

India

With India's development continuing to gain steam, one of the biggest challenges will be to avoid the mistake that others have made when they failed to recognize their newly acquired global systemic influence and adapt accordingly. Both China and Big Tech show that it is never too early to start managing one's own rise.