Discussion Topics: reentry | criminal justice reform and advocacy | impact of incarceration on families | educational opportunity in prison | mental health during incarceration and beyond | community engagement and advocacy | breaking the cycle of recidivism | employment challenges and success stories | personal growth and transformation | building a support system inside and out
Travels From: New York City Area
Giovannie Hernandez is a Bronx, New York native. He is a graduate of Bard College through the Bard Prison Initiative, where he majored in Literature with a minor in Art History. His story is featured throughout Ken Burns and Lynn Novick’s award-winning documentary, College Behind Bars.
He is currently an Associate at Adams Buckner Advisors and works on accounts such as the successful #TurnOnTheTAP campaign and has been actively involved in election reforms in New York. He is also the President and Founder of Lucid Labs Media, a website design agency which employs formerly incarcerated people.
Giovannie is a social justice advocate working to address the issues of disenfranchised communities, higher education in prison, and those impacted by incarceration. He is a frequent public speaker, traveling across the country speaking about his personal experiences, his belief in the transformative power of a quality education, and the need to create more access for disenfranchised communities.
He serves on the Board of Directors for Ameelio Technology, a tech non-profit working to provide no-cost communications and improved education access for incarcerated people. He is also a founding member of Emergent Works, a tech nonprofit teaching the justice-impacted community tech and software engineering skills at no cost. He lives in the Bronx with his family.
