Born to a single mother in a charity hospital in Louisiana and raised in working-class East Texas, Darren Walker knows firsthand the power of dignity, inclusion, compassion and equal opportunity to change lives and uplift communities in crisis, from New Orleans to Detroit, where he helped broker the deal to rescue the city from bankruptcy. His life story gives us hope, and his life’s work is changing the language of philanthropy, from “them” and “they” to “us” and “we.”
Since being named president of the Ford Foundation, Darren has charted a radical goal for one of the world’s largest and most influential charitable organizations: conquering inequality. His leadership is authentic, and his focus on equality is nothing short of revolutionary, a clarion call for the world of philanthropy and an inspiration to those of us working for a more just and loving world.
John is a singer and composer and the founder of the Elton John AIDS Foundation
