Be Fearless: 5 Principles for a Life of Breakthroughs and Purpose

Jean Case, the first female Chairman of the National Geographic Society in its 130-year history and CEO of the Case Foundation, is a philanthropist, investor and internet and impact investing pioneer who advocates for the importance of embracing a more fearless approach to innovation and transformation. Under her leadership, the Case Foundation has been recognized for its efforts to address significant social challenges, harnessing the best impulses of entrepreneurship, innovation, technology and collaboration to drive exponential impact. Out of this work, the Case Foundation has identified five principles that individuals and organizations can take to “be fearless” and bring about extraordinary change, and Ms. Case has compiled these narratives into a deeply personal and inspirational national best-selling book, Be Fearless: 5 Principles for a Life of Breakthroughs and Purpose.

Ms. Case illustrates these principles with storytelling—from her own life-altering moments and John F. Kennedy’s history-making moonshot, to Jane Goodall’s remarkable breakthroughs in understanding and protecting chimpanzees and other endangered species, to Bryan Stevenson’s (FAN ’15 and ’16) ambitious efforts to end incarceration inequities, to celebrity chef José Andrés’ decision to be a “first responder” and take his kitchen to the sites of devastating hurricanes to feed the hungry—and much more. In recounting these narratives, Ms. Case appeals to readers to ask themselves, “What’s my big idea?”, “What’s my big bet?”, and then provides the tools to help them get started.