Philanthropic 50: Mary and Jeff Zients

By the age of 35, entrepreneur Jeff Zients was worth $149 million. Then followed two terms in the White House as Obama’s economic advisor, where he supported a free trade agreement policy now under siege by Donald Trump. He is currently president of the Cranemere Group, a holding company that acquires and develops businesses in the $200 million-to-$1 billion range. In 2003, Zients and his South African-born wife Mary (among their wedding guests was Nelson Mandela) formed the Zients Family Foundation, which supports multiple charities and nonprofits in the fields of education, conservation, children and women’s issues. Zients also co-founded the Urban Alliance Foundation, which works with corporations to provide paid internships, training and mentorships for youth from underresourced areas.