About Hernán

Hernan Carvente-Martinez is the Executive Director of Alianza for Youth Justice, Founder of Healing Ninjas, Inc., Youth Leadership Coach, and Social Entrepreneur.

As the Executive Director, he supports the coalition’s efforts to continue amplifying the visibility and advocacy of Chicanx/Latinx young leaders to transform youth justice systems with long-term solutions rooted in cultura, comunidad, and healing.

At Healing Ninjas, he has worked to create a social enterprise focused on creating access to wellness resources for BIPOC communities. He does this through his podcast, social media platforms, and partnerships with other mental health and wellness leaders.

Mr. Carvente-Martinez has worked with a myriad of industries including juvenile justice, child welfare, mental health, corrections, and philanthropy. He is passionate about developing and implementing sustainable community-driven solutions in partnership with youth and families. Most recently, he worked at the Youth First Initiative, where he supported state campaigns that focused on closing youth prisons and reinvesting money into community alternatives. He worked with directly-impacted young people in these campaigns by offering professional development support, coaching, and monetary resources. Mr. Carvente-Martinesz also serves on the boards of Community Connections for Youth, and the Alliance for Youth Organizing. He is also a member of several philanthropic funds that support the leadership of directly impacted communities.

Previously, he worked at the Vera Institute of Justice, where he led efforts to include youth and families in state-wide policy reform efforts around the country. He was awarded the “Spirit of Youth Award” by the Coalition for Juvenile Justice and the “Next Generation Champion for Change” award by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. He has a B.S. from John Jay College. He was also named a 2021 Reebok Human Rights Awardee by the Reebok Foundation.