Some initial great press for our award in Democracy Journal. Stay tuned for more!
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BOSTON, Oct. 1, 2018— The Humanist Hub is honored to announce Nick Hanauer as its Harvard and MIT Humanist of the Year. This award honors individuals whose life and contributions to society exemplify the values of humanism: compassion, integrity, creativity, and honesty, among others.
Humanist Hub executive director Greg Epstein, who also serves as Humanist Chaplain at Harvard and MIT, presented the award to Hanauer during a public forum on Sept. 30 at MIT. During the forum, titled “Capitalism Redefined: The Ethics of Wealth in a World of Rising Inequality,” American academics, artists, and philosophers discussed how communities can fix the glaring inequities in our economy.
“It turns out that most people get capitalism wrong. Capitalism works best when it works for everyone, not just the exceptionally wealthy,“ said Hanauer. “Receiving the Humanist of the Year award is an honor, and I’m enthusiastic about joining the Humanist Hub in guiding conversations about our economy and the growing wealth gap.”
Hanauer is most well-known for being a philanthropist and Seattle-based venture capitalist. An early investor in Amazon and the successful founder or funder of multiple businesses, Hanauer is a critic of rising economic inequality. He is respected in the Humanist community for his books and articles, including national bestsellers “The True Patriot” and “The Garden of Democracy.”
“Humanism requires us to apply critical thinking and compassion to the work of creating economies that influence the lives of billions of human beings. We need influential capitalists to speak truth to their powerful peers because things have gone awry, and we need to rededicate ourselves to justice,” said Humanist Chaplain Greg Epstein. “Nick has worked tirelessly to use his wealth and influence for the greater good. He serves as a healthy example of success for students who hope to gain influence through tech and business.”
Past Humanist of the Year laureates include filmmaker Seth MacFarland (creator of Family Guy), documentary filmmaker Ann Druyan (creator of the PBS documentary series “Cosmos”), human rights heroes General Romeo Dallaire and Taslima Nasreen, as well as world-renowned scientists Steven Pinker and E.O. Wilson.
About Humanist Hub
Founded in 1974, the Humanist Hub is an independent 501(c)3 charitable organization dedicated to creating an inclusive community for the religiously unaffiliated. Connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Drawing on the structures and best practices of religious communities, the Humanist Hub works to create a new model for how humanists celebrate life, promote reason and compassion, and a better world for all. To get involved, please visit www.humanisthub.org.
Media Contact:
Ashley Nakano anaknao@sterlingpr.com Sterling Communications, Inc. ###