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Leon Ford, founder of Hear Foundation, honored by Forbes 30 Under 30 for social impact

By Patrick Damp

December 1, 2022 / 5:16 AM EST / CBS Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh's Leon Ford named one of Forbes 30 Under 30

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - A Pittsburgher has been named one of the most impactful young people changing the country.

That's according to the new "30 Under 30" list by Forbes.

Leon Ford was honored for social impact for his work founding the Hear Foundation.

It works to address gun violence, trauma, and community redevelopment.

Ford was paralyzed in 2012 after he was shot five times by a Pittsburgh Police officer during a traffic stop.

Now, he's an advocate for police reform, has written three books, and is the foundation's co-founder along with former Pittsburgh Police Chief Scott Schubert.

Forbes' 2023 30 Under 30 list honors 600 young people deemed trailblazing innovators across North America.

Pittsburgh Police

Patrick Damp

Patrick Damp is a web producer for CBS Pittsburgh. A Pittsburgh native who grew up watching KDKA-TV, Patrick studied journalism at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. After half a decade in sports communication, Patrick decided to pursue his dream of working in journalism in his hometown and joined the CBS Pittsburgh team in 2019.