Elizer Darris

Executive Director, Minnesota Freedom Fund, & Founder, Darris Consulting Group

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Elizer Darris is the executive director at the Minnesota Freedom Fund. He is also the founder and chief vision officer of Darris Consulting Group, where he leads efforts to dismantle barriers for formerly incarcerated individuals and build inclusive systems of leadership and opportunity. After being incarcerated as a teenager and spending close to 20 years in the criminal justice system, Elizer has transformed his experience into a career of public advocacy and coalition building. He co-founded The Legal Revolution, the country’s first program allowing incarcerated individuals to attend law school, and led Minnesota’s Restore the Vote campaign, restoring voting rights to over 55,000 people. Through his Unlocked Success training series, he has equipped dozens of reentry staff and probation officers with tools to support individuals transitioning back to society. As Policy and Advocacy Chair of the Minnesota Black Chamber of Commerce, he advances economic justice through reentry reform and policy change.