Jeanie oversees communications for GingerBread Capital, sharing the inspiring stories of the women founders and entrepreneurs GBC supports and promoting our mission to build a more equitable landscape for women in business.

A champion of entrepreneurship as a powerful vehicle for expanding economic opportunities and building wealth, especially in underserved communities, Jeanie spent more than 10 years as editor-in-chief of MBE magazine. She was also co-founder and editor of Women’s Business Exclusive, the first national newsletter covering programs and policies for women business owners. Her early advocacy of women and diverse founders led to her appointment by the Governor of California to the first statewide council promoting women’s entrepreneurship. She was later named National Media Advocate of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration.

With a keen interest in the power of public policy to improve people’s lives and livelihoods, Jeanie pursued graduate studies at the Harvard Kennedy School at Harvard University, where she earned a master’s degree in Public Administration. She earned a B.A. from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Jeanie is passionate about public service and volunteerism. She taught high school science as a Peace Corps volunteer in Ghana, West Africa; and later served on the board and as Executive Director of a nonprofit providing microfinance, entrepreneurial training and educational scholarships to women and girls in Ghana. More recently, Jeanie served on the board of directors of The Chicago Help Initiative, a nonprofit providing nutritious meals and social services to Chicagoans experiencing hunger and homelessness.