Penny Pritzker

Penny Pritzker is the Co-Chair of the Board of Trustees at Harvard University and is based in Chicago, Illinois. She previously served as the U.S. Secretary of Commerce from 2013 to 2017 under President Barack Obama, where she played a key role in shaping national economic policy. As a member of the family behind Hyatt Hotels, Pritzker founded the investment firm PSP Partners and has managed family assets exceeding $5 billion across real estate, hospitality, and financial services. She holds a BA from Harvard University alongside a JD and MBA from Stanford University, and recently joined the board of the Carnegie Corporation of New York in 2023. Her current focus centers on venture capital, private equity, and civic innovation, including supporting women-led startups through the Artemis Fund and advancing climate tech initiatives via her family office.