In 1997, Jean Case and her husband Steve created the Case Foundation. The couple both had successful careers in the technology sector—Steve as the founder of America Online, Inc. (AOL) and Jean as a senior AOL executive. As a result, the Case Foundation based its strategy on technology, entrepreneurship, and innovation, three pillars that had by 2015 become its key strategies. Drawing upon Jean’s marketing and branding expertise, the Case Foundation developed a model of “citizen-centered philanthropy,” an approach in which any individual could connect with peers and define and solve problems themselves. The Case Foundation also firmly believed that public-private cooperation could accelerate social change, and worked to include the private sector in its programs.