NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

By Suzanne Woolley

Jean Case has bungee-jumped, walked a plank set between poles 30 feet high and written a book called “Be Fearless.”

So when asked about her scariest experience, you’d expect to hear something dramatic from the investor and chairman of the National Geographic Society.

“Diving in an area called the Gardens of the Queens, off the coast of Cuba, at one point I was probably surrounded by 25 big, healthy sharks,” said Case, who is also chief executive officer of the Case Foundation. “I’ve been diving for a long time in a lot of places that have sharks, because healthy reefs have sharks, and I’d been never so surrounded by sharks before.”

Bloomberg recently spoke with Case about impact investing, her personal investing and the work she and husband Steve, former CEO of America Online, have done to encourage a more inclusive startup culture. Comments have been edited and condensed.

Photo courtesy of Case Foundation.