CCJ Directory

Carvente-Martinez is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Healing Ninjas, Inc., a health and wellness company using technology to build and deepen community between people on their respective healing journeys. A Chicano social entrepreneur, community organizer, and leader in the fight to end youth incarceration, he serves as the National Youth Partnership Strategist at the Youth First Initiative, a national campaign focused on closing youth prisons and reinvesting savings into community alternatives.

He is also an advisor to the Credible Messenger Justice Center, serves on the board of Community Connection for Youth, and is a member of several philanthropic funds that support the leadership of directly impacted communities. Previously, he worked as a Program Analyst at the Vera Institute of Justice, where he worked to ensure that youth and families were included 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.