MOORE BRINGS DIVERSE LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE TO ROBIN HOOD’S NEARLY THREE DECADES OF POVERTY-FIGHTING WORK

Robin Hood, the largest poverty-fighting organization in New York, announced today that Wes Moore, a nationally prominent social advocate, will become its Chief Executive Officer.

Moore, 38, is a social entrepreneur, decorated army combat veteran, and bestselling author. He spent much of his childhood in the Bronx. He is the author of The Other Wes Moore and The Work, instant New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestsellers that captured the nation’s attention on what draws the line between success and failure in our communities.

Most recently, Moore founded and served as CEO of BridgeEdU, an innovative college platform that addresses the college completion and job placement crisis. BridgeEdU reinvents the freshman year by combining high touch and high tech supports for students. He has had a lifelong interest in creating positive social change. When he was a student at Johns Hopkins, Moore founded STAND!, which works with Baltimore youth involved in the criminal justice system.

“The heart of Robin Hood’s humanitarian mission is to aggregate and allocate human and financial capital, in partnership with thought leaders, fellow philanthropists and government, to create long-term solutions to alleviate poverty in New York and shared throughout the nation,” said Larry Robbins, chair of Robin Hood’s board. “Our Board is thrilled that Wes Moore has agreed to invest his extraordinary talents as a leader and orator, manager and strategist to broaden our impact and elevate our capabilities and reach.”

In New York, 1 in 5 people (1.8 million) live in poverty. Robin Hood supports and creates programs that generate meaningful results for New Yorkers in need. Because Robin Hood’s board covers administrative expenses, every dollar donated is invested in poverty-fighting programs with the greatest potential for lasting impact. The organization has raised $2.5 billion since 1988, which enables it to fund 200+ of the most effective nonprofits annually.

“I’ve long admired Robin Hood and I’m grateful for this tremendous opportunity to lead such a groundbreaking, well-respected organization doing so much good,” said Moore. “People living in poverty are particularly vulnerable now, so Robin Hood’s work is more urgent than ever. I’m proud to be joining an organization that’s been leading the charge on making a meaningful difference.”

Known for helping struggling New Yorkers build better lives for themselves and their families, Robin Hood houses, feeds, trains, educates, advises and cares for hundreds of thousands of men women and children living in poverty. The organization also helps the nonprofits it funds by providing leadership training, board recruitment, and real estate, finance, and marketing assistance. When an effective solution to challenges faced by low-income New Yorkers doesn’t exist, Robin Hood will create it. For example, Robin Hood launched Immigrant Justice Corps – the largest expansion of legal services for immigrants in New York City’s history and a national model – and created Single Stop, which connects people to critical resources via a one-stop-shop, and has served one million households in nine states.

“Robin Hood was built on a foundation of heart and brains. It is about recognizing the basic humanity that resides in every single person and most importantly, the least fortunate among us,” said Paul Tudor Jones, co-founder of Robin Hood. “Wes is the PERFECT culture carrier to continue our tradition.”

Moore is a vocal advocate for disadvantaged youth, as well as veterans in need. In 2012 he served on Robin Hood’s Veterans Advisory Board, which brought military, non-profit, and government leaders together to connect veterans living in poverty to critical services. He has also served as a board member of Iraq Afghanistan Veterans of America, and was the executive producer and host of PBS’s Coming Back with Wes Moore, which focuses on the re-integration of veterans.

Moore is the host of Beyond Belief on the Oprah Winfrey Network, American Graduate Day on PBS, and his work has been featured in USA Today, and on Meet the Press, The Colbert Report, and NPR, among many others.

Moore graduated Phi Theta Kappa from Valley Forge Military College in 1998 and received his bachelor’s degree with honors from Johns Hopkins University in 2001. In 2004, he completed an MLitt in International Relations from Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar. Upon graduation, he served as a paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division and Captain in the United States Army, participating in a combat tour of duty in Afghanistan. He also served as a White House Fellow to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.