GALA HONOREES

TRAILBLAZER AWARD

Juju Chang

  • Juju Chang is an Emmy® Award-winning co-anchor of ABC News’ “Nightline.” She also reports regularly for “Good Morning America”, “20/20” and “Impact x Nightline” on Hulu.

    Chang's decades-long career is notable for her in-depth personal narratives set against the backdrop of pressing national and international news. After the rise of hate crimes against the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community during the pandemic, Chang co-anchored the ABC News Live special “Stop The Hate: The Rise In Violence Against Asian Americans” and the “20/20” special “Murder In Atlanta” following the Atlanta mass shooting.

    Chang’s award-winning report “Trans and Targeted” on violence against transgender women of color caps a series of her stories on LGBTQ+ issues. Chang has won multiple GLAAD awards and conducted exclusive television interviews with transgender soldier Chelsea Manning and Lia Thomas, the transgender UPenn swimmer whose case highlighted the debate over trans athletes. Chang's major breaking news stories include extensive coverage of COVID-19 science and the fallout on hospital ICU’s and essential workers. Chang’s recent reports include the mass shooting at a Lunar New Year dance party in Monterey Park CA.

    She has traveled around the world to report on global issues and gender-based violence, including a trip through Central Africa on the front lines against Boko Haram and #bringbackourgirls. She traveled to Honduras for “Femicide: the Untold War,” an eye-opening look at rampant violence against women.

    Chang has profiled newsmakers and celebrities from Joe Biden to the Jonas Brothers. Her extensive feature reporting covers parenting dilemmas, digital addictions and social media moguls like Dude Perfect and Kendall Jenner.

    A former news anchor for “Good Morning America,” Chang joined ABC News just after college as an entry-level desk assistant in 1987 and rose to become a producer for “World News Tonight.” After reporting for KGO-TV in San Francisco and the ABC News affiliate service NewsOne in Washington, D.C., she co-anchored the overnight show “World News Now.” Chang’s work has been recognized with numerous awards, including multiple Emmy’s, Gracie’s, a DuPont, a Murrow and Peabody awards. In 2017, she was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Front Page Awards.

    Born in Seoul, South Korea, and raised in Northern California, Chang graduated with honors from Stanford University with a Bachelor of Arts in political science and communication. She is married to WNET president and CEO Neal Shapiro and, together, they have three sons who identify as “50% Korean and 100% Jewish”. Chang is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, a founding board member of the Korean American Community Foundation and received a Justice in Action Award from the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund.

VISION IN ACTION AWARD

Steve Cohen

  • Steven A. Cohen is the Chairman, CEO and President of Point72, a global multi-strategy asset management firm.

    Mr. Cohen bought the iconic New York Mets major league baseball team in 2020 and serves as Chairman and CEO of the team.

    An avid philanthropist and entrepreneur, Mr. Cohen has founded and holds active leadership roles in a number of nonprofit organizations. In 2001, Mr. Cohen and his wife, Alexandra, founded the Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation, which is committed to supporting Lyme and tickborne disease research, underserved communities, children, the arts, and sustainability. Mr. Cohen created Cohen Veterans Network in 2015 to improve the mental healthcare, treatment, and quality of life for veterans and their families.

    Mr. Cohen also serves on the Emeritus Board of the Robin Hood Foundation and the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) Board of Trustees.