Ahead of the president's major speech tonight to a joint session of Congress to lay out his jobs program both sides (The President and House Speaker) have released the lists of who they have invited to their boxes to watch.  (any tea leaves to read here?)

Guests invited by the White House to listen to the speech from the First Lady’s box in the House: (as released by the White House)

Jeffrey Immelt

Jeffrey R. Immelt is the ninth chairman and CEO of GE, a post he has held since September 7, 2001. Immelt currently serves as the chairman of the President’s Council on Jobs and Competitiveness.  Immelt has held several global leadership positions since coming to GE in 1982, including roles in GE’s Plastics, Appliance, and Medical businesses. In 1989 he became an officer of GE and joined the GE Capital Board in 1997. In 2000, Immelt was appointed president and chief executive officer.  Immelt has been named one of the “World’s Best CEOs” three times by Barron’s, and since he began serving as chief executive officer, GE has been named “America’s Most Admired Company” in a poll conducted by Fortune magazine and one of “The World’s Most Respected Companies” in polls by Barron’s and the Financial Times.  Immelt is also a member of The Business Council, and he is on the board of the New York Federal Reserve Bank.  Mr. Immelt earned a B.A. degree in applied mathematics fromDartmouthCollegein 1978 and an M.B.A. fromHarvardUniversityin 1982. He and his wife have one daughter.

Steve Case

Steve Case, currently chairman & CEO of Revolution LLC and chairman of the Startup America Partnership, is one ofAmerica’s most accomplished entrepreneurs and philanthropists. Steve co-founded America Online in 1985, and under his leadership, AOL became the world’s largest and most valuable Internet company. In 2005, Steve founded Revolution LLC, focused on investing in and building disruptive, innovative, consumer-facing companies such as Zipcar, LivingSocial and Exclusive Resorts.  Earlier this year at the White House, Case helped launch the Startup America Partnership, an independent private-sector coalition delivering strategic and substantive resources to help entrepreneurs start and scale companies across theU.S., in response to the President’s call to action.  Case also serves as a co-chair of the National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and is a member of the President’s Council on Jobs and Competitiveness, where he co-chairs the working group on high-growth companies. In addition, Steve chairs the Case Foundation, which seeks to tap new technologies and entrepreneurial approaches to help strengthen the social sector.

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