Aaron Hurst

President and Founder, Taproot Foundation

Aaron Hurst founded the Taproot Foundation in 2001, 40 years after his grandfather, Joseph E. Slater, wrote the original blueprint for the Peace Corps. Inspired by the Peace Corps' model for getting people to work together, Aaron created the Taproot Foundation to engage the country's millions of business professionals in pro bono work building the infrastructure of the nonprofit sector. Under his direction, the Taproot Foundation has become the national leader in pro bono, delivering $53 million worth of professional services to more than 1,000 nonprofits and setting the agenda for the development of the field.

Aaron has been widely recognized as a leading social entrepreneur for his work in civic engagement, nonprofit management and corporate social responsibility. He has received numerous fellowships and awards for his vision and leadership, including the Draper Richards Foundation's Fellowship for Social Entrepreneurship, Ashoka Fellowship, Manhattan Institute Award for Social Entrepreneurship, Social Venture Network's Innovation Award, and Commonwealth Club's 21st Century Award.