Delia Cohen

Brainstormer, Change Agent, Concerned citizen, Connector, Filmmaker, Global soul, Idea generator, Social entrepreneur, World traveler, Writer/Editor

Vision architect Delia Cohen specializes in turning extraordinary ideas -- involving the arts, cutting-edge technology, and new media -- into reality. The common theme of her projects? They all attempt to make the world a better place. Notable endeavors include running the messaging department at the Clinton White House during impeachment and transition; helping organize the first and second Clinton Global Initiatives; producing Richard Avedon’s last work, a photo-essay on democracy for The New Yorker; rebranding Goldie Hawn’s education foundation; managing Nokia’s $1million global investment challenge; and pulling together in 15 months an extremely ambitious TED Prize project – a global film event called Pangea Day. However, Delia’s most interesting, challenging, and rewarding work has been in criminal justice reform. For the last decade, Delia has been leveraging her unique network of incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people, correctional leadership, activists, entertainers, and entrepreneurs to organize TEDx events in prisons around the United States. With Delia’s guidance, incarcerated people, correctional officers, prison administrators, and community members collaboratively plan and curate each event. Following Bryan Stevenson’s call for advancing justice through proximity, half of the attendees are community leaders and half are incarcerated. Numerous attendees have found the experience unforgettable and transformative, spurring a wave of criminal justice activism and philanthropy. Shared on the TEDx YouTube channel, videos from the prison events have gone viral across the globe and comprise an unprecedented archive of authentic voices and ideas for criminal justice reform. Delia lives in upstate New York in an 18th-century Dutch Colonial farmhouse with her dogs Buddy and Bella.

being the ambassador to an invisible country. bringing communities inside to meet the actual people behind bars and debunking the myths too many Americans have adopted about prison from the media

What if we stopped spending stratospheric and unconscionable amounts of money to incarcerate people and instead worked together to create safer and healthier communities for us all? Using the TEDx platform, we've been bringing victims, offenders, prosecutors, police, judges, correctional officers, public defense attorneys, probation officers, at-risk youth, formerly incarcerated people, business leaders, legislators, conservatives and liberals, religious leaders and atheists, and community residents together -- behind the razor wire in one place -- to work cooperatively to keep our kids in school, our communities safer, and our society healthier.

But there are so many :)