Van Jones

Van Jones is a media personality, entrepreneur, and change maker. Known for his role as a CNN contributor, Van has dedicated his resources and connections to advancing clean energy solutions, criminal justice reform, and racial inclusion in the tech sector. Over the past 25 years, he has founded and led numerous successful social enterprises, including REFORM Alliance, the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, Color of Change, Green For All, and Dream.Org.

He is a three-time New York Times best-selling author and served as the Special Advisor for Green Jobs under the Obama Administration. He played a pivotal role in passing the FIRST STEP Act, which aims to reduce unnecessarily long federal sentences and improve conditions within the federal prison system. In collaboration with Prince, he launched #YesWeCode (now Dream.TECH), helping scores of low-opportunity young people secure jobs in the tech sector. Additionally, Van co-founded REFORM Alliance with JAY-Z, Meek Mill, Michael Rubin, and others, focusing on probation, parole, and sentencing reform.

Recently, Van launched the Dream Machine Innovation Lab, a non-profit organization designed to equip multicultural communities with the tools needed to harness artificial intelligence and lead the future of innovation through AI-focused workshops, networking events, and educational programming.