Van Jones

Anthony Kapel "Van" Jones (born September 20, 1968) is an American news commentator, author, and non-practicing attorney. He is a cofounder of several nonprofit organizations, including the Dream Corps, a "social justice accelerator" that operates three advocacy initiatives: #cut50, #Yeswecode and Green for All. He is the author of The Green Collar Economy and Rebuild the Dream, both ranking as New York Times bestselling books. He is a regular CNN contributor and current presenter of the news feature documentary series and subsequent studio discussion series, The Messy Truth with Van Jones, also on CNN. He served as President Barack Obama's Special Advisor for Green Jobs, as a distinguished visiting fellow at Princeton University, and as a co-host of CNN's political debate show Crossfire. He is president of Dream Corps and is among activists featured in 13th, a 2016 documentary directed by Ava DuVernay about the US justice system and factors that have resulted in the over-incarceration of minorities and the highest incarceration rate in the world. In 2004, Jones was recognized as a "Young Global Leader" by the World Economic Forum. Fast Company ranked Jones as one of the "12 Most Creative Minds in 2008". In 2009, Time magazine named Jones as one of the 100 most influential people in the world. In 2010, he received the NAACP President's award.