Equal Justice

The NEXUS Working Group Toward Equal Justice is dedicated to educating our members about the Criminal Justice System, the different intersectional systems that underpin it, and opportunities for transformational reform.

Our Working Group Is…

An onramp for our members to leverage their influence toward equal justice by becoming a part of the solution with directly impacted communities who are leading their own transformation everyday. Our role in the field is to educate and inspire our members to take their greatest level of actions utilizing all their forms of capital across asset classes to support our frontline partners and movements toward equal justice.

Mission

We educate our members about the Criminal Justice System, the different intersectional systems that underpin it, and opportunities for transformational reform. We provide resources and collective opportunities for our members to take actions in their lives, communities, businesses, investments, and philanthropy.

Our Work

We uplift the most effective models for transforming systems toward equal justice by working deeply with partners who live these issues and lead their own transformation. Together we curate local salons, regional workshops, and site visits as well as toolkits and action pledges to help our members leverage their influence for the short and long term goals of our partners including in rapid response movement moments like Ferguson and Standing Rock. Our partners help us frame our educational and site based events as well as identify the actionable areas they would like our members to take publicly and privately together with them to support their work and campaigns. In doing this, we model a more just form of investment by taking our direction from directly impacted communities in a way that isn’t transactional, but rather is deeply relational.

By leveraging our social, political, and economic influence with those who are on the frontlines of fights for equal justice, we add an inside/outside strategy to their work that legacies of injustice have blocked them from access to. In re-aligning these, we work to strengthen not just our partners but the whole field to win transformative victories toward equal justice.

OUR AMBASSADORS

Christina Hollenback

NEXUS Working Group Chair on Equal Justice

Christina spent the first 13 years of her career in politics building the unprecedented coalitions to win on the DREAM Act, healthcare and higher education access, expanding workforce development programs, and women’s health issues. Winner of the prestigious POLLY award at just 27 from her work at Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Christina then became one of the youngest Executive Directors in US national politics organizing her generation from the Capitol to the Whitehouse to the streetcorner. In 2014, she transitioned into Impact Investing and began working with those same frontline communities to build sustainable solutions as a core part of their strategies organizing for justice from Baltimore to Standing Rock.

She currently is helping lead Solve at MIT’s inaugural work with the Oceti Sakowin to build sovereign energy, food, and water systems and launching, VIGILINT Ventures, a first of it’s kind Investment Fund that grows visionary alternatives to the Criminal Justice system.

Christina is a featured speaker and presenter from conferences to classrooms and is the Founding Chair of the NEXUS Network’s Working Group Toward Equal Justice, where she works with their 4,000 global network of young philanthropists, impact investors, and social entrepreneurs to align their full breadth of Capital—social, political, and economic/business and investments— toward Equal Justice.

Christina is from Syracuse thru and thru and is a classicly trained vocalist who has traveled the world as a performer. In 2014, she began directing, most recently with the US Premiere of Apple itune’s first issue based album for the People’s Climate March, The album HOME, featuring NE-YO, Common, Elle Varner, and produced by 6 time Grammy Award winner Malik Yusef. Her debut album drops in 2019.

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Dayo Okewale

NEXUS Working Group Co-Chair on Equal Justice

An internationally recognized leader, equal justice advocate, public speaker, and entrepreneur, Dayo Okewale leverages the power and influence of government, notability and business to combat some of the worlds greatest social issues.

Dayo currently works as a chief of staff in the House of Lords (UK government), providing political, diplomatic and strategic insight to Crossbench Peers. Dayo employs in the House his valuable life and professional experiences, and an unique perspective which adds irrefutable value.

Additionally, Dayo is co-chair of Equal Justice for NEXUS Global, NEXUS is a global community founded to bridge communities of wealth, philanthropy and social entrepreneurship. With over 5000 Members from 70 countries, they work to unite next generation families, UHNW individuals, philanthropists, young investors, social entrepreneurs, and allies to catalyze new leadership and accelerate needed political, societal, indigenous, financial, environmental, and equal justice solutions.

Dayo is also part of the UNESCO Human Rights Global Integration forum alumni and leadership program, having served on the UNESCO board and having published articles on human rights, sports for development and eradicating poverty.

Dayo Okewale Founded Who’s Got Game Sport in 2008, the not for profit organisation specialises in using sport as a tool for social change and development, creating young global leaders and empowering young people with employability and business enterprise skills. Former professional basketball player, Dayo believes sport is an underused medium for teaching and instilling life and social skills, he is passionate about promoting the use of sport as a tool for education and change.

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Key Issues:

The NEXUS Working Group Toward Equal Justice believes the de-carceration of America can and must happen in our lifetime. To do so, we believe we must build broader, more strategic and powerful movements led by people who’ve been formerly incarcerated toward equal justice, while also increasing educational, economic, and wellness opportunities for historically over-criminalized communities and people who have been formerly incarcerated to address legacies of mass incarceration.

Inclusivity. Any NEXUS member is welcome to participate. In fact, we encourage the collision of members from different industries so that, together, we can not only shape the entertainment industry, but also provoke shifts in storytelling across the board.
Dialogue. We welcome open and difficult discussions, held in hospitable fashion and in a climate of mutual respect and friendship. Thanks to this thriving environment, there’s no topic that’s too challenging for us to take on — from human trafficking to addiction or the devastation of the planet.
Education. From traditional distribution platforms to brain science on story and emerging forms of VR or AI, we provide members with access to cutting edge forms of storytelling and technology. See it and discuss it here first — with the experts themselves.
Impact. By supporting and bringing to the table creatives, executives and investors, we aim to generate tangible impact in the entertainment industry by creating meaningful opportunities for emerging partnership and shaping mainstream conversations around pressing social and human issues.

Our Programming

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Salon Series

Equal Justice has organized a six part salon series tackling key areas of criminal justice reform around the USA to build broader, more strategic and powerful movements towards equal justice with our partners

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Educational Frameworks

We provide baseline frameworks, materials and context around the Criminal Justice System as well as regular news and information about the system on an ongoing basis through social media for our members to understand these issues fully and become ambassadors to others about the need for transformational reform.

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Rapid Response Action Pledges

Together we curate we create toolkits and action pledges to help our members leverage their influence for the short and long term goals of our partners including in rapid response movement moments. Take our pledge to resist White Supremacy: http://bit.ly/2AUUzgi

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Site Visits

Local salons, regional workshops, and site visits help our members leverage their influence for the short and long term goals of our partners. In doing this, we model a more just form of investment by taking our direction from directly impacted communities in a way that isn’t transactional, but rather is deeply relational.

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Public Advocacy

Educating and mobilizing our members around ending mass incarceration, ending state sanctioned violence toward Indigenous, Displaced/Refugee, and Religious/Ethnic Minority Communities and ending White Supremacy, violent extremism, and implicit bias

Get Involved with Equal Justice

To see what Equal Justice salons, delegations and other events are upcoming, please reach out. Please note, many Equal Justice Working Group events are limited to members only. Not a member? Membership is based on your application, acceptance and attendance to a multi-day event. Click to see our next upcoming summits or forums.

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