Justice Together

He also interviewed Anne Cooper, the 106-year old voter President-elect Obama highlighted in his election night acceptance speech after he had seen Lemon's interview with Cooper on CNN.

He has served as moderator for CNN's political town halls, co-moderated the first 2020 Democratic Presidential Debate and co-hosted the Color of Covid special that addressed the pandemic's impact on communities of color.

Lemon served as the network's leading voice guiding viewers through the death of George Floyd and the summer of nationwide protests.

Marlon is the author of Bird Uncaged: An Abolitionist’s Freedom Song, host of the DEcarcerated Podcast, and owner of his own social impact endeavor, The Precedential Group Social Enterprises and its nonprofit arm, Be Precedential, Inc. His TED talk, “Am I not human? A call for criminal justice reform,” has amassed over 1.2 million views. 

As a Soros Fellow, Senior Atlantic Fellow, and Aspen Civil Society Fellow, Marlon has used his activism and pen to advocate for safer communities, reduce the footprint of law enforcement, and amplify the work of individuals and grassroots organizations across the globe.

Her TED talk, How Judges Can Show Respect, has been translated into 11 languages and received over one million views. Since leaving the bench, she has worked to advance justice reform in jurisdictions across the nation, and as far as Ukraine, England, Trinidad and Tobago, and Mexico. She has also served as a professor at Rutgers Law School in Newark, New Jersey. She is a graduate of Rutgers University and Rutgers Law School.

After earning her bachelor's degree from Amherst College, Taela started as an Actors Equity Association performer, performing in several shows, including The Producers, Dreamgirls, High School Musical 2, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Josephine, and Bill T. Jones' Broadway adaptation of Superfly. 

With her knowledge of diverse musical genres and a natural ability for cutting and blending, Taela has risen to become one of New York City's most sought-after DJs. She has played all over NYC and has earned praise from the legendary DJ Red Alert and played alongside DJ Tony Touch.

Under his visionary leadership, New York became the first state to require pro bono work prior to bar admission, strengthened the criminal defense system, transformed the handling of human trafficking cases, and addressed systemic causes of wrongful convictions. 

In 2008, he received the William H. Rehnquist Award for Judicial Excellence, presented each year by the nation’s chief justice to a state court judge who exemplifies the highest level of judicial excellence, integrity, fairness, and professional ethics.

In his current role as Of Counsel at Latham & Watkins, he has continued to advance reforms as chair of the Independent Commission on New York City Criminal Justice and Incarceration Reform, which has led the charge to close the notoriously inhumane jails on Rikers Island.

Shaun Leonardo’s performance practice, anchored by his work in Assembly—a diversion program for court-involved youth at the Brooklyn-based, arts nonprofit Recess— is participatory and invested in a process of embodiment. Leonardo recently joined Recess as Co-Director, helping guide the organization's continuous evolution as an engine of social change. Leonardo is a Brooklyn-based artist from Queens, New York City. He works as an advisor to the Center’s Project Reset, which offers individuals arrested for a low-level offense the chance to avoid both court and a criminal record by completing a brief program, such as an artist-led workshop.

Parag V. Mehta is Managing Director and President of the JPMorgan Chase PolicyCenter. He works with a team of experts who leverage the bank’s assets, insights, and expertise to develop and advance policy solutions that drive inclusive economic growth in the United States and around the world.

Prior to joining JPMC, he served as Senior Vice President and Executive Director of the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth, the philanthropic hub of the company.

Parag previously served as Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor to the 19th Surgeon General of the United States, Dr. Vivek Murthy. Parag also spent more than four years directing communications for a civil rights agency in the U.S. Department of Labor and served on Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential transition team as a liaison to the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities and to LGBTQ+ Americans.

Nan Gibson is Executive Director for Public Policy and Corporate Responsibility at the JPMorgan Chase PolicyCenter, based in Washington, D.C. In this role, she works to develop and advance evidence-based policy solutions to drive inclusive economic growth by bringing together global expertise, data, research, and philanthropic investments.  Nan works with policy, community, and business leaders to drive effective public policy solutions at all levels of government. She provides policy expertise across a broad range of economic issues and conducts outreach to key stakeholders to build unique partnerships for initiatives related to economic security and workforce development. She works closely with criminal justice reform leaders to advance policies that lower barriers to employment and create greater economic opportunity for individuals involved in the justice system. 

Emily Tow (she/her/hers) is the president of The Tow Foundation, a family foundation that envisions a society where all people have a voice in their community and the opportunity to enjoy a high quality of life. Emily joined the Foundation’s Board of Directors at its inception in 1988 and has served as the Foundation’s president since 1995.

Under Emily’s leadership, what started simply as a way for her family to give back to the community has grown into a well-established organization of 13 staff and over $20 million in annual giving. In her role as president, Emily upholds the Tow legacy by advancing the strategic direction of the Foundation and engaging the next generation of family members in the work.

Emily’s commitment to the Foundation’s areas of focus extends far beyond her role as president. She is a trustee of New York Public Radio and The Marshall Project and serves on the Advisory Committee of the American Theatre Wing.

Rasmia Kirmani

Eric Lee

Allan Levy

Karol Mason

Erica Mateo

Marshall L. Miller

Lisette Nieves

Priya Parker

Eric Lee

The Hon. Jonathan Lippman

Marshall L. Miller

HUB International

Kramer Levin

Peter and Dorothy Samuels

Margaret Egan

Marriott Worldwide Business Councils | New York

Seyfarth Shaw LLP

Susman Godfrey LLP