Wes Moore

Westley "Wes" Watende Omari Moore (born October 15, 1978 ) is an American author, social entrepreneur, television producer, political analyst, and decorated US Army officer. He is the author of The Other Wes Moore and The Work, both of which are New York Times Bestsellers. He was also the host for Beyond Belief on the Oprah Winfrey Network, as well as the executive producer and a writer for Coming Back with Wes Moore on PBS.

Moore is the Founder and CEO of BridgeEdU. BridgeEdU is a social enterprise dedicated to reinventing the Freshman Year and creating a softer on-ramp to higher education for students entering their freshman year of college.

In April 2017, it was announced Moore would be appointed CEO of the Robin Hood Foundation, a poverty fighting organization funding schools, food pantries and shelters in New York City. Beginning the position in June 2017, he's the organization's first chief executive officer.

Early life and education
Moore was born in Baltimore on October 15, 1978, to father Wesley, a radio news host, and mother Joy, a native of Lowe River, Jamaica.

When he was three years old, Moore witnessed his father’s death. With his father being deceased, Moore’s mother took him and his two sisters to live in the Bronx, New York with their grandparents.

Moore attended Riverdale Country School. At Riverdale, he encountered academic and disciplinary struggles. When Moore's grades declined and he became involved in petty crime, his mother enrolled him in Valley Forge Military Academy.

After high school, Moore graduated Phi Theta Kappa from Valley Forge Military College, a junior college in Pennsylvania. He went on to attend Johns Hopkins University where he studied International Relations and Economics and graduated Phi Beta Kappa in 2001. Immediately after, he attended the University of Oxford as a Rhodes scholar where he earned a master's degree in International Relations.

Early career
While living in London, Moore started a career in finance at Deutsche Bank in the international trade and finance division, but in 2005 he left to utilize his training as a paratrooper and joined the 82nd Airborne Division of the U.S. Army in Afghanistan. Moore led a team of paratroopers and special operators who were trained in civil affairs, psychological operations, information operations and various other special operations command disciplines. Among the many awards he received was the Combat Action Badge.

Upon his return to the United States, Moore was accepted as a White House Fellow. He placed within the State Department’s Office of U.S. Foreign Assistance Resources where he tracked foreign aid to ensure it was being used properly. He served at the White House for one year, then returned to New York to work in finance at Citigroup.

Literary career
Moore's first book, The Other Wes Moore, was published in 2010. This book and The Work are New York Times Bestsellers. Additionally, Discovering Wes Moore is a Young Adult edition of his bestselling book, and This Way Home, his first Young Adult novel, was released in the Fall of 2015.

The Other Wes Moore
The Other Wes Moore is the story of two young Baltimore boys that share the same name and a similar history, but travel down very different paths. While both grew up fatherless with troubled pasts, one became a Rhodes scholar and leader, and the other was convicted of murder and is currently serving a life sentence. Wes Moore sets out to answer what made the difference through telling the story of young men trying to find their way in a seemingly broken world. The Other Wes Moore has been on both The New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller list.

Discovering Wes Moore
Discovering Wes Moore is the Young Adult adaption to The Other Wes Moore. This book acts as a cautionary tale that is more accessible to a younger audience while maintaining the powerful message and story that was set out in The Other Wes Moore.

The Work
The Work provides a tale of finding purpose and passion through the work a person does. This book retraces Moore’s experiences around the globe that have led him to find his passion. Additionally, he tells the stories of a dozen other “change makers” and how they found their paths to purpose.

This Way Home
This Way Home is a Young Adult novel about a high school star basketball player. Elijah faces a struggle that emerges from a standoff with a local gang after they attempt to recruit him to their basketball team. Elijah refuses to play for them and is faced with the consequences. Taking place in a pivotal time of a young adult’s journey, this story is about discovering what truly matters in life.

Productions
Moore is also involved in a variety of productions. He has hosted, directed and produced programs on OWN as well as PBS.

Coming Back with Wes Moore
Coming Back with Wes Moore, a series executive produced by author and former Army combat veteran Wes Moore, aired in three parts on consecutive Tuesdays beginning May 13, 2014, on PBS. The three episode series tells the story of Wes Moore’s search for answers to some of the most difficult questions related to returning home from war. The show follows the personal lives of different soldiers as they attempt to reintegrate back into society, establish new identities, and find new missions. Each episode focuses on a different stage of coming home: “Coming Back”, “Fitting In” and “Moving Forward”.

Episodes:

Episode 1: “Coming Back”

Episode 2: "Fitting In"

Episode 3: "Moving Forward"

All the Difference
All the Difference is a documentary which seeks to understand why many boys of color have difficulty transitioning in higher education and what can be done about it. The program has been filmed over a period of five years and tells the stories of two young boys and their efforts to avoid the pitfalls of growing up in low-income, high risk Chicago communities and navigate higher education. The film is being made in cooperation with PBS and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

News analyst
Moore is a news contributor to various publications including The Wall Street Journal, The Huffington Post, The Baltimore Sun, The New York Times and many other publications. Moore regularly appears on various MSNBC programs including Hardball with Chris Matthews, Now with Alex Wagner, The Rachel Maddow Show, PoliticsNation, Meet The Press and Morning Joe

He has also made appearances on various notable programs including: Face the Nation, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, The Colbert Report, and Real Time with Bill Maher

Veterans activist
Moore is a vocal advocate for serving those who served in the military overseas. He has worked with various veterans groups, such as the Iraq Afghanistan Veterans of America and Things We Read, and is a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW).

Moore has also presented a TED talk at TEDSalon NY2014 titled How to Talk to Veterans About the War.

Press

 * Oprah Winfrey Interview
 * Meet the Press Interview
 * Colbert Report Wes Moore
 * Wes Moore Ted Talk
 * New Day North West
 * New Day North West