Jeanne Allen

Jeanne Allen is the Founder and CEO of the Center for Education Reform (CER), the nation’s leading advocate for innovation and opportunity in education since 1993. In 2021, she co-created and launched the Yass Prize, which honors and funds transformational, permissionless education providers. Now in its fifth year, the Yass Prize has awarded over $55 million, resulting in 14 million new and diverse learning opportunities for students. A frequent media voice and public speaker, Jeanne is a contributor to Forbes, and publishes the Forza newsletter on Substack. She is the author of An Unfinished Journey: Education & the American Dream and has been honored by Working Mother, the Black Alliance for Educational Options, and the ASU+GSV Summit, where she received the 2025 Power of Women Award. Jeanne began her policy career on Capitol Hill and served as a senior official at the U.S. Department of Education under President Ronald Reagan. She later founded the first education policy office at The Heritage Foundation. A longtime advisor to education entrepreneurs and innovators, she champions the power of 21st century technologies to personalize learning and expand access. Jeanne holds degrees from Dickinson College and the University of Pennsylvania, where she helped shape the Education Entrepreneurship program. She advises GSV, the University of Austin, and numerous education organizations. She and her husband, Dr. Kevin Strother—a musician, educator, and charter boat captain—cherish time with their growing family, including four beautiful grandchildren, where education is always at the heart of the conversation.