Mary Jo Cook is a mission-driven leader passionate about using business as a force for good. She currently leads Pacific Community Ventures (PCV), a nonprofit social enterprise and Community Development Financial Institution with a 20-year track record of engaging small businesses, investors and policymakers to build an economy that works for everyone. She believes that amidst widening income and wealth inequality, the decline of jobs that afford workers dignity, financial security and economic mobility is one of the biggest societal challenges of our time. Under her leadership, PCV has launched a national initiative, engaging multiple stakeholders on new ways for creating jobs that are good for workers, good for businesses, and good for communities.
Prior to joining PCV, Mary Jo served as Chief Impact Officer at FairTradeUSA, leading the organization in engaging businesses, consumers, farmers and workers to improve livelihoods for hard working families. As Vice President at the CloroxCompany, she held senior management roles in Innovation, Sustainability, Strategy and Marketing, creating new approaches for embedding innovation and sustainability into everyday business practices.
Mary Jo is Board Chair for Ganaz, a start-up connecting farmers who need good workers with workers who need good jobs and serves on the advisory board of SustainableBrands.
Mary Jo Cook is a member of the Job Quality Fellowship Class of 2017-18. To learn more about the Job Quality Fellows, visit as.pn/jobquality.
The Job Quality Fellowship is part of the Economic Opportunity Fellows Network, a network of leadership and fellowship programs run by the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program. Within this Network, EOP connects national and local leaders from across sectors — nonprofit, government, business, philanthropy, academia, and more — to advance policies and practices with the potential to help low- and moderate-income Americans thrive in today’s economy. Learn more at as.pn/eofn.
Bio updated September 2017.
