BROADCASTS.com

Leslie is joined by Vien Truong, the new CEO of Dream Corps, which is a social justice accelerator that backs initiatives to close prison doors and open doors of opportunity for all. Truong will oversee Green For All, #YesWeCode and #Cut50 initiatives at Dream Corps.

She is a lawyer who is widely regarded as a top policy expert, progressive leader and strategist on economic development, workforce policies, clean energy, public finance and growing the green economy.

Dream Corps\u2019 announcement runs counter to current trends in the non-profit industry. According to the Chronicle of Philanthropy only about a third of nonprofits similarly-sized are led by women. Additionally, the Nonprofit Quarterly reports that only seven percent of all nonprofit chief executives are people of color.

For Truong, Dream Corps\u2019 work is deeply connected to her personal purpose. The youngest of 11 kids, Truong and her family came to the U.S. as refugees from Vietnam. They picked strawberries in the fields of Portland before establishing themselves in Oakland, California. Here, her family were unable to find work beyond sweatshops.

She has developed and fought vigorously on numerous energy, environmental, transportation, and economic policies and initiatives at the state, federal and local levels over the course of her career. She co-led efforts to drive billions of dollars in public investments for energy and community development programs in California, creating the largest fund in history for low income communities.

Vien has been recognized by President Obama\u2019s White House as a Champion of Change for her work on climate equity. She has received several congressional, state, regional and local awards for her work advocating on behalf of those most vulnerable to poverty and pollution. Most recently, Vien addressed the European Union during its Green Week, highlighting the way forward for climate justice and building a green economy globally in the face of fierce opposition from our federal government.

Dream Corps' website is www.TheDreamCorps.org and their Twitter handle is @TheDreamCorps. Vien's handle is @viendetta.