Jason Palmer is a venture capitalist from Maryland who is projected to have defeated President Joe Biden in the Democratic primary in American Samoa on March 5.
Palmer, who is from Baltimore, Maryland, describes himself on LinkedIn as “Presidential candidate, entrepreneur, impact investor, philanthropist.” Although the primary win isn’t expected to move the needle much when it comes to the Democratic nomination, it did earn Palmer a burst of media attention because, as CNN reported, it is Biden’s “first defeat so far in the Democratic presidential primary,” and it came at the hands of a man few knew before Tuesday.
According to PR Newswire, Palmer joined the presidential race in November.
“Palmer is stepping forward because of a deep conviction that America will not progress forward by seeking refuge in the past. His campaign is committed to passing the torch of democracy to a new generation,” his announcement press release says.
Palmer is running on a platform of transforming education, in part. “Numerous polls show that two-thirds of the voting public wants an alternative to the two main presidential candidates,” he told Inside Higher Ed. “More than 90 percent of younger Americans want an alternative. The American public wants someone younger, preferably someone who has built a successful career in business—but who also understands how to transform our educational system, where those young people spend 15 to 20 years of their lives.”
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Jason Palmer Wrote That It’s Time for a President ‘Who Will Be an Advocate for American Samoa,’ But He Only Appeared There Virtually
Palmer, 52, declared victory in the American Samoa primary on March 5 against Biden.
“Honored to announce my victory in the American Samoa presidential primary. Thank you to the incredible community for your support. This win is a testament to the power of our voices. Together, we can rebuild the American Dream and shape a brighter future for all #VoteJasonPalmer,” he wrote.
On March 4, he wrote, “Washington D.C. is long overdue for a president who will be an advocate for American Samoa. The Meet & Greet in Malaeimi was a perfect way to learn more about what locals need the most. As a Democratic Candidate on the ballot, I’m here for the fight.”
Campaign photo for media useJason Palmer
According to CNN, Palmer “had three full-time campaign staffers on the ground” in American Samoa but only appeared there virtually.
2. Jason Palmer Said His Campaign Had 9 Employees in November 2023
According to a November 2023 article in Ed Week Market Brief, Palmer loaned his campaign “in the few hundred thousand dollars range.”
The article said he wants to raise the rest from donors “who are frustrated with the existing candidates in the field and seeking alternative options.”
According to that article, Palmer’s campaign, at least at that point, had nine full-time employers. He was planning to focus “on a few key states, including New Hampshire and Nevada,” Ed Week Market Brief reported.
3. Jason Palmer was employed by the Bill & Melinda Gates’ Foundation in Seattle and worked for Kaplan in New York.
According to his LinkedIn page.According to his LinkedIn page, Palmer was a general partner for New Markets Venture Partners for over seven years in Baltimore. He described the job as being "a leading global impact investor focused on education and workforce technologies."
He served as a "board observer" for Origin for five years in New York, describing it as having a mission "to rewrite every justice-impacted person’s story."
He claims to have served as a board member for Motimatic in Oakland, California, and Climb Credit in New York, PAIRIN in Denver, CreatorUp in Los Angeles, Musion in San Francisco, and was a board observer for Regent Education in Maryland. He also claims to have been a board member or board observer for LeaRn in Raleigh-Durham, Credly in New York, and Signal Vine, Inc.
He held the position of deputy director, post-secondary, for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for two years and 10 months in the Greater Seattle Area.
He wrote about that job, "Led a team of outstanding industry experts and served as U.S. Education lead on the Foundation’s Program Related Investment (PRI) Committee. Together we were responsible for discovering and investing in promising solutions with the potential to transform higher education to dramatically improve college completion and affordability, especially for low-income and minority students."
He added, "Our portfolio included personalized learning, online and blended learning solutions, adaptive courseware, breakthrough models, student coaching/advising, competency-based learning, credit transfer and digital credentials."
His other roles include being a senior vice president for Kaplan in New York, vice president of business development for SchoolNet and a product manager at Microsoft. He was also a co-founder of Mascot Network, Inc., which he described as "very similar to Facebook, but 7 years too early."
He claims to have been an advisory board member for the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute and was board chair for Village Capital.
He possesses an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BA from the University of Virginia.
4. Jason Palmer's motivation to run for President was sparked by reading a book about failing social systems.
According to Inside Higher Ed., Palmer was "inspired" to run for president by Paul LeBlanc’s book “Broken: How Our Social Systems Are Failing Us and How We Can Fix Them."
Palmer told the site, "The book is about dreaming big dreams, the power of stories and building systems where people matter. Of course people matter, but Paul writes about loving his team, creating a culture of love to help students succeed and putting people first. These sections of the book directly inspired the pillars of my presidential platform related to building a new-collar economy that’s people first."
He also mentioned, "I was also surprised to see that Paul’s book included a whole section about conscious capitalism. I had no idea that Paul even knew about B-corporations and impact investing, the sector of the economy where I’ve dedicated my life’s work."
5. Jason Palmer Stated That His Intention to Pursue Public Service Had Been Developing for 10 Years.
Palmer stated to Inside Higher Ed that he had been thinking about entering public service for a while.
“I have been considering getting involved in public service for the last ten years, especially since my time at the Gates Foundation, but my enthusiasm grew significantly in 2023,” he explained. “There are several reasons that led to my decision to run for president. The main reason was the numerous reports about young people feeling helpless and hopeless, and a general sense that the major issues of our time are not being addressed. Congress is becoming increasingly dysfunctional.”
Palmer’s website states he was born in Aberdeen, Maryland.
On his campaign website, his mother Diane remarks, “Jay [her nickname for him] was raised in our middle class home without much extra money. He has always been independent and adventurous, eager to try new things, and willing to work hard to make money while helping others.”
His website mentions that he is a father but gives limited information about his children or family. His website does not mention a wife.
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