Green Shoots & Big Shifts

← Green Shoots & Big Shifts9 sep · 28 min

Green Jobs, Second Chances, and Policy - Nisha Anand, Dream.org

Green Jobs, Second Chances, and Policy - Nisha Anand, Dream.org9 sep28 min

Nisha Anand, CEO of Dream.org, ran the playbook to help pass a legislation, which has seen 60,000 people return from prison. She grew up as the daughter of Indian immigrant parents in Atlanta, learned to be the bridge early, and now builds tables wide enough to make change that lasts.

Nisha explains:

Growing up a self-described misfit in Atlanta and turning bridge building into a career

Why durable policy comes from including the most excluded voices, not checking a box

How the First Step Act brought 60,000 people home from prison

Green for All's origin: Van Jones training Oakland youth to install solar panels

Solving poverty and pollution at the same time instead of one at a time

The Green Reentry cohort, training people coming home from prison for green jobs

Working with unlikely allies, from libertarians to military bases facing rising water

Common values under criminal justice reform: second chances, dignity, shrinking a bloated system

Making nuance cool again and practicing self-curiosity while doom scrolling

Connecting siloed solutions from conferences into full city-wide plans