James 'Jim' VandeHei (born February 12, 1971, in Wisconsin) is an American journalist, reporter, and media entrepreneur. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science from DePauw University in 1993. His career began at The Washington Post in 1997 as a national political reporter and White House correspondent. In 2007, he co-founded Politico, where he served as executive editor and helped establish it as a leading digital news outlet focused on politics. In 2016, he co-founded Axios, where he currently serves as CEO, overseeing its growth into a major media company known for 'smart brevity' news across politics, business, and technology.