Gerry Cobb is the director of the Pritzker Children’s Initiative, part of the JB and MK Pritzker Family Foundation, focusing on state policies for children from prenatal to age three. The initiative emphasizes healthy beginnings, high-quality early care, and family support. Before this role, she was the state services director for the BUILD Initiative, aiding states in developing early childhood systems. She also spent 13 years with North Carolina’s Smart Start Initiative, establishing the National Technical Assistance Center. Previously, she was executive director of the American Council of Young Political Leaders and a program officer for The Asia Foundation. A North Carolina native, Gerry graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In 2010, she volunteered globally, working with children and wildlife across multiple continents.