Penny is an entrepreneur, civic leader, and philanthropist with more than 30 years of experience in numerous industries. She is the founder and chairman of PSP Capital and Pritzker Realty Group, a global private investment firm that takes a long-term, fundamental approach to investing in and building market-leading businesses in sectors such as professional services, real estate, technology, agriculture, industrial services, and consumer products. From June 2013 through January 2017, Penny served as US Secretary of Commerce in the Obama Administration. She was a core member of President Obama’s economic team and served as the country’s chief commercial advocate, leading the Administration’s trade and investment promotion efforts. She also served on President Obama’s Council on Jobs and Competitiveness and his Economic Recovery Advisory Board. Currently, Penny is a member of the board of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a member of the Aspen Strategy Group, and the Aspen Economic Strategy Group, a member of the board of the Obama Foundation, and on the advisory council of The Hamilton Project. She earned a BA degree in economics from Harvard University and a JD and MBA from Stanford University.