Social Venture Network (SVN) announces the fifth and final category of inductees into the SVN Hall of Fame: Economic Justice Mavericks. These five innovative, values-driven leaders will be presented with the SVN Impact Award on November 13th at the Social Venture Network Hall of Fame at Gotham Hall in New York City. This event marks SVN’s 25th anniversary and recognizes influential entrepreneurs who have leveraged the power of business to create a more just, sustainable and humane society.

The honorees inducted as ‘Economic Justice Mavericks’ are Van Jones, founder of Rebuild the Dream, Green for All and the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights; Dolores Huerta, co-founder of United Farm Workers; Al Fuller, founder of Integrated Packaging Corp.; and Judy Wicks and Laury Hammel, co-founders of The Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE).

The Economic Justice Maverick category celebrates leaders of businesses or nonprofits who are working to effect positive social and economic change, and create and support quality jobs that lift Americans out of poverty.

Van Jones founded Rebuild the Dream, a platform for bottom-up, people-powered economic innovations. Since its launch in 2011, the organization has worked with 70 partners and allies to build an active grassroots network in all 435 Congressional Districts and a member-base of more than 600,000. Van also co-founded Green for All, a national organization that develops strategies to improve the environment while creating good jobs and the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, which works with local communities to promote social justice by creating jobs, strengthening infrastructure, and developing leaders.

Dolores Huerta co-led United Farm Workers, the nation's first successful farm workers union. The mission of United Farm Workers is to provide farm workers and other working people with the inspiration and tools to share in society's bounty. The UFW continues to organize in major agricultural industries across the nation. Recent years have witnessed dozens of key UFW union contract victories, among them the largest strawberry, rose, winery and mushroom farms in California and the nation.

Al Fuller leads Integrated Packaging Corp., which employs low-income people and trains them in advanced manufacturing skills. After witnessing the de-industrialization of his hometown of East St. Louis, Al decided to effect change in communities through employment, rebuilding the local economy and reinvigorating the town with hope. IPC has grown to be one of the leading minority owned businesses in the United States.

Judy Wicks & Laury Hammel co-founded BALLE, a network of 25,000 local independent businesses across the U.S. and Canada. Concerned about the health of our planet and growing wealth inequality, in 2001, Judy and Laury, with the support of Social Venture Network, began organizing local business networks dedicated to building just and sustainable local economies with greater self-reliance in food, energy, and other basic needs. By decentralizing ownership and encouraging innovative entrepreneurship, BALLE’s aim is to increase equality and strengthen democracy, while supporting local ecosystems and fostering joyful community life. 

As the leaders of Social Venture Network look back on twenty-five years of connecting, inspiring and supporting influential entrepreneurs who use business to create a just and sustainable world, they are also re-imagining the future of socially responsible business. The SVN Hall of Fame will celebrate mission-driven entrepreneurs and impact investors who have broken barriers and paved the way for new leaders to create enterprises that benefit customers, employees, local communities and the planet.

About SVN

Since 1987, Social Venture Network (www.svn.org) has been at the forefront of the socially responsible business movement, connecting, leveraging, and promoting a world-class community of thousands of innovative entrepreneurs working to change the way the world does business and the way that business affects the world. SVN connects the leaders of socially responsible enterprises to share lessons and resources, form strategic alliances, and explore new solutions that build a more just and sustainable economy.

Interviews with SVN representatives and Hall of Fame honorees available upon request.

Social Venture Network

Social Venture Network

Since 1987, Social Venture Network (www.svn.org) has been at the forefront of the socially responsible business movement, connecting, leveraging, and promoting a world-class community of more than 500 innovative entrepreneurs working to change the way the world does business and the way that business affects the world. SVN connects the leaders of socially responsible enterprises to share lessons and resources, form strategic alliances, and explore new solutions that build a more just and sustainable economy.

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