Folk All Y’all: Jesse Ruben

Jesse Ruben (he/him) is a singer/songwriter living in Brooklyn, NY. Best known for his lyrical storytelling and engaging live shows, his songs have been heard on more than a dozen TV shows in the US and abroad. His most recent single “This Is Why I Need You” reached the top 10 in 12 different countries, and has been streamed more than 60 million times across all platforms. He has recorded live sessions for NPR and MTV Asia, and has been featured on CNN and in Esquire Magazine.

Beyond his music career, Ruben is highly active in philanthropic endeavors. He is a co-founder of Generation Lyme, a community built to empower people facing Lyme disease through sharing patient stories and hosting online Meet-ups. In addition, he is the founder of The We Can Project, an initiative for young students designed to help them discover their passions and give back to their communities. To date, more than 800,000 young people have participated. To promote the program, he was personally invited by Hoda Kotb to perform live on The Today Show.