“We have so many awesome people in both parties. So many awesome people in every color group. So many awesome people in every faith group…if you wake up every morning and focus on the awesome people, you can create miracles.”
-Van Jones, Founder, Dream Machine Innovation Fund
Are our convictions for social justice conditional? Will we lend a hand only when it is right for us? Van Jones, Founder, Dream Machine Innovation Fund, calls us to answer these questions at this talk at the 2024 Resnick Aspen Action Forum.
Van a U.S. media personality, entrepreneur and world-class change maker with a rare track record of bringing people together to do hard things — in areas as diverse as clean energy solutions, criminal justice reform and racial inclusion in the tech sector. His approach to crossing divides serves as a reminder that beyond the layers of our political affiliation, race, religion, and other identities lies our shared humanity. And this shared humanity is our superpower.
To assist in the passage of The First Step Act, which resulted in the release of 35,000 individuals from federal prisons, Van demonstrated the courage to bridge divides and forge alliances with an unexpected partner – Jared Kushner – overcoming societal pressures to exclude those deemed ‘different’. This endeavor underscores that beyond the layers of our political affiliations, race, religion, and other identities lies our shared humanity—a connection that embodies our greatest strength.
More from the Action Forum: Watch more talks on leadership, bridging divides, and driving positive impact from the 2024 Resnick Aspen Action Forum.
