Jeanne Allen

Jeanne Allen is the Founder and CEO of the Center for Education Reform (CER) and one of the most influential leaders in the education innovation movement. For more than three decades, she has helped shape the modern school choice and charter school landscape, working with policymakers, entrepreneurs, investors, and philanthropic leaders to expand opportunity and unlock new models of learning. In 2021, Jeanne co-created and launched the Yass Prize, now one of the largest education innovation prizes in the world. In just five years, the initiative has awarded more than $55 million to entrepreneurial education providers building transformational, permissionless learning environments. The prize has helped catalyze a national network of founders and innovators creating student-centered, technology-enabled models designed for a rapidly changing world. Through CER’s work — including initiatives such as the Power of Innovation Summit — Jeanne convenes leaders across policy, innovation, capital, and education to accelerate new ideas and partnerships that expand access to high-quality learning. A former senior official at the U.S. Department of Education, Jeanne began her career on Capitol Hill and has advised federal and state policymakers for decades. She is widely recognized for coining the term “Parent Power” and for creating the Parent Power Index, a national benchmark tracking states’ progress in empowering families with meaningful education options. Jeanne is a contributor to Forbes and author of the widely read Forza for Education newsletter. Her work and commentary on education innovation have appeared in major outlets including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Fox News, PBS, and Education Week. She is the author of An Unfinished Journey: Education & the American Dream and is currently completing a new book exploring human flourishing and the rise of education entrepreneurs who are redefining how students learn and thrive. Jeanne has received numerous honors for her leadership, including the ASU+GSV Power of Women Award (2025) and recognition from Working Mother and the Black Alliance for Educational Options. She holds degrees from Dickinson College and the University of Pennsylvania, advised on the creation of Penn’s Master’s in Education Entrepreneurship program, co-founded the StartED Accelerator, and serves on the advisory board of the Center for Education and Public Service at the University of Austin (UATX).