Draft:Jennifer Gross

Jennifer Gross is an American businesswoman and philanthropist recognized for her significant contributions to global poverty alleviation and sustainable development. As the daughter of billionaire investor William H. Gross, she has leveraged her resources and influence to drive impactful philanthropic initiatives.

Early Life and Education

Gross was raised in Mission Viejo and Laguna Beach, California, the daughter of William (Bill) H. Gross, co-founder of Pacific Investment Management Co. (PIMCO), and Pamela (Pam) Roberts. She earned her undergraduate degree from Duke University and continues to support and collaborate with it, along with several other academic institutions such as Columbia University and the Pontifical Academy of Sciences.

Nonprofit Work and Board Memberships

Gross is an advisor and board member for numerous nonprofit organizations. She serves on the Leadership Council of the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) and advisor to SDSN USA. She is a director of The William, Jeff, and Jennifer Gross Family Foundation, which expanded its assets to $550 million in 2024 and donates nearly $20 million annually ($18 million in 2024). Recipients include such as Columbia University, Doctors Without Borders, the Sustainable Development Solutions Network, Duke University, Kauai’s Wilcox Medical Center, the Orange County Teachers of the Year Foundation, and CHOC’s Small Baby Unit.

She has played a founding role in several initiatives hosted by the Vatican’s Pontifical Academy of Sciences, including:

• “Ethics in Action"
• "Faith and Science for Happiness and Sustainable Development”]
• "Pan-American Judges Summit on Social Rights"
• "Modern Slavery and Climate Change: The Commitment of the Cities”
• “An Alliance for Sustainable Cities”
• “The Challenge of Poverty”
• "Mass Migration and the Refugee Crisis”
• "The SDGs and the Magisterium of Pope Francis for Indigenous Peoples”
• "Modern Slavery, Human Trafficking, and Access to Justice for the Poor and Vulnerable”
• "Promoting Child Dignity”
• "Colonization, Decolonization, and Neocolonialism from the Perspective of Justice and the Common Good”
• "Private Capital and Public Purpose”

Blue Chip Foundation

In 2015, Gross founded the Blue Chip Foundation to address poverty through innovative solutions and partnerships using the framework of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. She has advised and contributed to annual academic and policy publications, including the World Happiness Report and the Global Happiness Policy Report.

The foundation collaborates with organizations such as:

• VII Academy, a free interactive photography platform amplifying student photographers’ voices.
• Millennium Villages Project, a research initiative led by Jeffrey Sachs at Columbia University to alleviate extreme poverty.
• The Peace Project, which focuses on reconciliation, justice, and forgiveness in post-conflict regions.
• The 2 Million Community Health Workers (2mCHW) Initiative, expanding healthcare access in underserved areas.

Publications and Research Contributions

Gross actively contributes to academic and policy research in sustainable development, global education, and well-being. Her work includes:

• World Happiness Report – An annual publication assessing global happiness based on economic, social, and policy factors.
• Global Happiness Policy Report – Research initiative offering insights into policies that promote well-being.
• Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Index – A framework measuring global progress toward the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
• Universal Education: An Essential Pillar for All Sustainable Development Goals – A chapter co-authored by Gross in A Global Compact for a Time of Crisis, edited by Marcelo Suárez-Orozco and Carola Suárez-Orozco, published by Columbia University Press.

Family Foundation and Recent Philanthropy

The William, Jeff, and Jennifer Gross Family Foundation expanded to $550 million in 2024, donating $18 million to 61 non-profit organizations that year. It provided relief funding, including:

• Hurricane recovery efforts in North Carolina and Florida
• $100,000 for wildfire relief in Los Angeles County
• $2 million to the Children's Hospital of Orange County (CHOC) for neonatal intensive care

Other philanthropic efforts include:

• $23 million in donations by Bill Gross
• $1.5 million to COVID-19 relief
• $2.7 million to Kauai Medical Center

Bill Gross announced he would donate 50% of his assets to the philanthropic foundations of his children, Jeff and Jennifer.

Personal Life

In 2014, Gross married Danish music producer Peter Stengaard. They jointly manage the Blue Chip Foundation and have one son. She has two brothers: Jeff Gross, the eldest, and a younger half-brother, Nick Gross.