Jason Russell

Jason "Radical" Russell is a co-founder of Invisible Children and also its chief creative officer. After graduating in 2002 from the University of Southern California's Film School with a degree in cinema production, he led a trip to East and Central Africa and found himself in the middle of a decade-long war. He made a promise to a boy named Jacob to help end that war, returned home to make a film abut it, which then turned into a non-profit still in pursuit of that promise today.

Russell has co-directed a documentary seen by millions, sold his musical "Moxie" to Steven Spielberg, and served as the assistant to the director for Disney's blockbuster "Step Up 2." Russell's experience extends beyond the screen however as he has directed and choreographed over 20 theatrical stage productions and performed in over 100 different shows.

He is also the director of "Kony 2012," a short documentary film that went viral in the beginning of March 2012. In the first two weeks it was launched, it gained more than 83 million views on YouTube and became the subject of intensive media scrutiny and criticism. Its subject is the Ugandan rebel leader Joseph Kony, his alleged war crimes, and the movement to bring him to the International Criminal Court.

Combining his love for story with his heart for cultures, Russell, along with Invisible Children co-founders Bobby Bailey and Laren Poole, were the recipients of Heartland Film Festival's distinguished Pioneering Spirit Award and the Congressional Coalition's Adoption Angels Award.

His revolutionary approach to humanitarian work has put Russell at the forefront of a generational movement for peace, and he continues to serve as a keynote speaker across the country, empowering youth to become more involved in the global landscape.

He admires Steven Spielberg, Walt Disney, Oprah, Bono, Steve Jobs, and Dan Eldon, but the most admiration of all goes to his childhood sweetheart/best friend/wife Danica and their two children, Gavin Danger and Everley Darling. He wholeheartedly believes that if you want to change the world, you have to be crazy enough to believe you can. He does, has, was, and still is.