Ben Jealous

Ben Jealous is a Professor of Practice at the University of Pennsylvania's School of Arts & Sciences, teaching leadership and social entrepreneurship. He concurrently serves as Executive Director of the Sierra Club. Previously, he was the youngest president of the NAACP (2008–2013), leading initiatives on voting rights, LGBTQ equality, criminal justice reform, and environmental advocacy. A Rhodes Scholar, he holds degrees from Columbia and Oxford Universities.

His career spans organizing, journalism, and bipartisan collaboration to address mass incarceration and civil rights. He has advised Republican governors and partnered with figures like Stacey Abrams and Desmond Tutu. His upcoming book, Never Forget Our People Were Always Free, explores historical and contemporary struggles for justice. As a social impact investor, he co-founded billion-dollar ventures like Honor and Aspiration.

Ben is a former trustee of Morehouse College and has lectured widely. He emphasizes coalition-building, inspired by MLK-era strategies, and advocates for systemic change through cross-partisan alliances.