Jelani is the Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder of Good Call. His responsibilities include overall leadership of the organization, strategic vision, and fundraising efforts. Growing up in Far Rockaway, NY, organizing in low-income communities across the East Coast, and getting arrested at 16 Jelani experienced firsthand the pitfalls that exist for those oppressed by the criminal justice system.
By nature, Jelani is a community organizer and serial entrepreneur. During high school, Jelani started his first online business, NoBones.net. This launch earned him the NYS FBLA Business Plan of the Year Award, and was featured on national TV. Prior to founding Good Call, Jelani worked on a variety of issue-based and electoral campaigns, including for Congresswoman Kathleen Rice and as an organizing intern for AFL-CIO. While taking a break from community organizing, he became a Civil Justice Fellow at Blue Ridge Labs @ Robin Hood, a Brooklyn-based social impact incubator. There Jelani connected with the other co-founders of Good Call, and the organization was born.
Jelani graduated from Long Island University/CW Post with a BS in Political Science and Business. He was named on Forbes 30 Under 30 for Law & Policy and a recipient of the Robin Hood Heroes Award, Echoing Green BMA Fellowship, Y Combinator finalist, Twilio Doers Award, Roddenberry Fellow, and most recently an Ashoka Fellow.
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