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Penny Pritzker      

Businesswoman, Entrepreneur & Civic Leader; Former U.S. Secretary of Commerce

Penny Pritzker is the founder and chairman of global private investment firms PSP Capital Partners and Pritzker Realty Group and a co-founder of Artemis Real Estate Partners and Inspired Capital. She served as the 38th U.S. Secretary of Commerce from 2013 to 2017. In her role as Secretary of Commerce, she was focused on providing American businesses and entrepreneurs with the tools they need to grow and hire, with notable involvements in international trade negotiations, including the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and the E.U.–U.S. Privacy Shield.

Pritzker was a key member of President Obama’s economic team, with more than 30 years of private sector experience. After taking office, she worked closely with the business community and helped advance the President’s priorities of expanding growth and opportunity for all Americans. Guided by conversations with more than 2,100 CEOs and business leaders, Secretary Pritzker developed the “Open for Business Agenda,” a bold strategic plan and policy blueprint for the Commerce Department. She serves as the U.S. Special Representative for Ukraine's Economic Recovery, appointed by President Joe Biden.

Before joining the Administration, Pritzker founded and served as advisory board chairman of Skills for America's Future, a national initiative that works directly with employers to develop training mechanisms to prepare workers with in-demand skills. In 2012, she also helped launch Skills for Chicagoland's Future, the first city model of Skills for America's Future. Pritzker is past chair of the Chicago Public Education Fund and a former Chicago Board of Education member. In recognition of her commitment to education and skills development, Pritzker received the Harry S. Truman Award from the American Association of Community Colleges in 2014.

Pritzker is a board member of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Microsoft, and the Obama Foundation, and she served as the board chair of the Carnegie Endowment in 2018. She also holds positions with the University of Chicago’s Institute of Politics, the Aspen Strategy Group, and the Aspen Economic Strategy Group. In 2020, she set up the Illinois COVID-19 Response Fund. Forbes recognized her as one of the 100 Most Powerful Women in 2009 and estimated her net worth at $3.2 billion as of October 2021. She continues to be an influential voice in the world of business, making public appearances across various media outlets, including TheHill, Axios, Bloomberg BNA, Tech Crunch, The New York Times, CNN, and BBC News.

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Penny Pritzker: my immigrant story - CNN
Penny Pritzker served in President Barack Obama's administration as the 38th United States Secretary of Commerce. The opinions expressed in this ...

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