Jean Cook is director of the office of the vice president of U.S. programs, supporting the foundation’s domestic work to build a robust and resilient multiracial, pluralist democracy. She works with the U.S Civic Engagement and Government, Creativity and Free Expression, Disability Rights, Future of Work(ers), Gender, Racial, and Ethnic Justice, and Technology and Society teams.
Jean joined the foundation in 2016 as an associate with the Technology and Society program. In this capacity, she supported organizations working to ensure that the internet and digital technologies advance social and economic justice, particularly for populations who experience persistent discrimination.
Prior to joining the foundation, Jean spent a decade as director at Future of Music Coalition, a research, education, and advocacy organization. In this role, she ensured that artists' experiences were included in federal policy discussions about music, artist’s rights, and technology, providing balance to arguments from major corporations and tech companies. In addition to mapping how emerging digital structures impact underrepresented types of music, particularly around data collection and artist payment infrastructure, her work examined how copyright and technology impact Indigenous artists in Ethiopia, Tajikistan, and Australia. Jean also served as co-director of the Artist Revenue Streams research project, assembling one of the most comprehensive data sets on U.S. musician income streams, including copyright.
As a musician, Jean has performed on over 100 albums and toured on four continents with various groups, including Art Ensemble of Chicago, Jon Langford, Beauty Pill, and Ida/Elizabeth Mitchell. She served on the founding steering committees for Music Workers Alliance and the Cultural Research Network (USA). She is a member of Women of Color in the Arts and the Board of Directors for Anthony Braxton's Tri-Centric Foundation.
