JENNIFER ZHU SCOTT

EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN, THE COMMONS PROJECT FOUNDATION

Jennifer Zhu Scott is the executive chairman of The Commons Project Foundation, which uses digital infrastructure for public good. The organisation’s key products include Commonhealth, the Android version of Apple Health; Commonpass, which provides Covid-19related health data; and Commoncheck, a digital credential verification tool that allows border control staff to check digital health records. The Commons Project is a codeveloper of Smart Health Cards, the Covid-19 health data standard that was adopted by Apple.

Born and raised in Sichuan province, Zhu Scott co-founded one of the first education companies in mainland China, before moving to the UK to become a senior advisor to the education subsidiary of Daily Mail & General Trust. “Back then in China, education, especially quality overseas education, was sometimes the only path for our generation to change our lives completely. I was a lecturer at my university, and when the UK opened up to Chinese students to study in British institutions, I moved to Shenzhen and set up my company to help parents navigate this path that was completely new to everyone.”

In 2018, she was selected to be part of Princeton University’s first executive education programme focused on advanced energy sustainability and leadership.