Eric Dawson is the co-founder and president of Peace First, an organization he helped launch as an 18-year-old. Peace First works on the twin challenges of youth violence and disengagement by preparing children with the skills to be peacemakers. For close to two decades, Peace First has taught conflict resolution and civic engagement skills to young people ages 3 to 14. The organization has taken its message to areas as diverse as New York; Los Angeles; Fairbanks, Alaska; Colombia; and South Africa. Peace First recently began an ambitious growth plan in conjunction with the Peace First Prize, modeled as a Nobel Peace Prize for young people. Dawson got his professional start directing a summer camp in Boston's public housing complexes and promoting disability awareness. A program evaluator at heart, Dawson is particularly interested in the intersections of social change, social services and movement building. Dawson attended Harvard College, where he earned an M.Ed and M.Div. He is an Ashoka, Echoing Green and PopTech fellow.

Panel:
Next-Generation Philanthropists and Social Entrepreneurs

Tweet