CNBC Changemakers and Power Players

The billionaire teaching women to take risks through poker

Name: The billionaire teaching women to take risks through poker
Uploaded: 2026-02-03T11:00:01.000Z
Duration: 41 min 5 s
Description: The CNBC Changemakers and Power Players podcast features candid conversations with leaders shaping business and culture. In this episode, CNBC's Julia Boorstin sits down with Jenny Just, co-founder of Peak6 and one of America's self-made female billionaires.

The CNBC Changemakers and Power Players podcast features candid conversations with leaders shaping business and culture. In this episode, CNBC's Julia Boorstin sits down with Jenny Just, co-founder of Peak6 and one of America's self-made female billionaires.

41:05

Tue, Feb 3 20266:00 AM EST

Julia Boorstin

Jenny Just started as one of the first women on the Chicago Options Exchange floor — where there wasn't even a women's restroom nearby. In 1997, she co-founded Peak6 with $1.5 million. Today, her fintech empire powers the trading platforms millions use daily, including Robinhood, SoFi, and Betterment. Her firm also employs twice as many female fund managers as the industry benchmark.

Now, Just is on a new mission: teaching one million women the strategic skills of poker to help them succeed in business and life. She shares why getting comfortable with risk and "getting to the table" are essential for the next generation of female leaders, and why poker might be the most underrated tool for building confidence and courage.

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