Carolyn Jones 

Carolyn Jones, President and CEO of Carolyn Jones Productions and Founder and President of the 100 People Foundation, has devoted her career to photojournalistic storytelling, believing that stories have the power to change the human condition when presented in an authentic way. She has spent the last decade focused on amplifying the voice of nurses on the front lines of our healthcare system through photography and film. 

Her most widely acclaimed book publications include Living Proof: Courage in the Face of AIDS—exhibited at the United Nations World AIDS Conference—and The American Nurse, which led to a feature documentary that has been included in the 2015 U.S. State Department's American Film Showcase. Her second film, Defining Hope, represents the culmination of a journey investigating how we can make better end-of-life choices. It was awarded Best Premiere - Documentary Feature at the Heartland International Film Festival and aired over 1,000 times on PBS stations nationwide. Ms. Jones’ films have been broadcast and distributed worldwide on major platforms, including on PBS and Discovery, and her most recent film In Case of Emergency won the Grand Jury Award for Best Documentary at the United Nations Association Film Festival. 

She founded the non-profit 100 People Foundation through which she travels the world sharing stories that celebrate our global neighbors. Her interest in nursing grew from her personal experience with breast cancer. Through her journey as a patient, she was struck by the level of knowledge, insight, skill and empathy that nurses caring for her possessed. Carolyn has provided a powerful view into health care in the United States through the perspective of nurses and the patients they serve. She has highlighted critical issues in the health care system, the experience of end of life and the challenges and complexity of emergency care in our country, including response to the first wave of the COVID 19 pandemic. 

Ms. Jones is an expert in capturing the human spirit and professionalism of nursing and bringing it to life. Her dedication to showing diverse perspectives, highlighting solutions and underscoring the role of the nurse demonstrates her commitment to the profession. Ms. Jones is grateful to be able to view the world through the lens of nurses—people who know how to heal with compassion. Nurses give selflessly for a cause that may not be their own. They embody a generosity of spirit, empathy and compassion that is hard to come by. 

Ms. Jones has been recognized for her contributions to the nursing profession with a Doctorate in Fine Arts (hon) from the State University of New York and honorary induction into Sigma Theta Tau as well as the Academy of Emergency Nursing. As a lecturer, she has spoken at conferences, universities and events around the globe, including a 2016 TED Talk on nurses. She was honored as one of 50 “Everyday Heroes” in the book of that title for her work with the 100 People Foundation.