Van Jones
CNN Host, Author, Dream.Org Founder Van Jones
Van Jones is a social justice advocate, television host, author and world-class changemaker. A Yale-educated attorney, he has spent 25 years laboring on social change causes, co-founding The Ella Baker Center for Human Rights (1996), Color Of Change (2005), Green for All (2007), Dream Corps (2011) and REFORM Alliance (2019). Most notably, Jones played a vital role in passing one of the most consequential rewrites of federal prison laws in decades – through a polarized Congress – with The First Step Act in late-2018. The New York Times called the bipartisan legislation "the most significant criminal justice breakthrough in a generation." In 2021, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos honored Jones with The Courage & Civility Award and presented him with $100 million to gift to the non-profit organizations of his choice. The award recognizes leaders who aim high, pursue solutions with courage, and always do so with civility.
