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Connie Ballmer is the co-founder of Ballmer Group, which supports efforts to improve economic mobility for children and families in the United States who are disproportionately likely to remain in poverty. Ballmer Group directs its philanthropy to help ensure that a person thrives through a healthy birth and stable family, a safe childhood and adolescence, a good education and a career that can support a family.

Connie’s longstanding philanthropic focus has been on the well-being of children, especially those in the foster care system. Connie is a general partner and founding investor at Blue Meridian Partners, a funding collaborative seeking to make strategic investments that help transform the lives of America’s most economically disadvantaged kids. In addition to serving on the board of StriveTogether, she also serves on the board of the Obama Foundation.

A native of Oregon, Connie served for seven years as a founding member of the governing board at the University of Oregon, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in journalism before entering a career in public relations and marketing for the technology sector. Connie received University of Oregon’s Pioneer Award in 2019 and was inducted into the School of Journalism’s Hall of Achievement. Connie and her husband Steve have three sons and reside in Bellevue, Washington.