Jared Polis

Jared Schutz Polis (born May 12, 1975) is an American entrepreneur, philanthropist, and politician who has served as the 43rd governor of Colorado since January 2019. A member of the Democratic Party, he represented Colorado's 2nd congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2009 to 2019, where he was rated as the most effective member of the state's congressional delegation. Polis achieved historic distinction as the first openly gay man elected governor in the United States.

Born in Boulder, Colorado, to parents involved in the peace movement, Polis demonstrated early entrepreneurial talent by founding his first company, American Information Systems, while attending Princeton University, from which he graduated with a bachelor's degree in 1996. He later co-founded ProFlowers, an online flower delivery service that was sold for hundreds of millions, and launched other tech ventures, amassing significant wealth by age 30 and earning recognition as an "Entrepreneur of the Year." Committing to public service, Polis established charter schools for at-risk youth and new immigrants, as well as nonprofits supporting veterans and startup founders.

Jared Schutz Polis was born on May 12, 1975, in Boulder, Colorado, to Jewish parents Stephen Schutz, a physicist and entrepreneur, and Susan Polis Schutz, a poet and filmmaker. As the oldest of three siblings, Polis grew up in a family with roots in the 1960s peace movement, which fostered a liberal-leaning environment emphasizing intellectual and creative pursuits.

Jared Polis has been in a long-term relationship with Marlon Reis since their first date on September 15, 2003. The couple became engaged on December 6, 2020, and married in a traditional Jewish ceremony on September 15, 2021, at the University of Colorado Boulder's Mary Rippon Theatre, marking the 18th anniversary of their first date. Reis, who holds a degree in environmental design from the University of Colorado, became Colorado's first gentleman upon Polis's inauguration as governor on January 8, 2019.