Teny Oded Gross
Teny Oded Gross founded the Institute for Nonviolence Chicago in 2016. Before then, Teny was the Executive Director of the Institute for the Study and Practice of Nonviolence in Providence, RI—a pioneering organization that teaches Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s principles and practices of Nonviolence locally, nationally, and internationally.
Thirty years of street outreach and mediating conflicts among sworn enemies led him to this work in Chicago. At the same time Teny was launching Institute for Nonviolence Chicago, he led efforts to build a comprehensive violence reduction strategy for the entire city—the Civilian Architecture. This group includes 15 neighborhood organizations, three major nonprofits, and City of Chicago representatives who now coordinate daily to respond to shootings and offer services that guide people into a safer, more productive life.
Earlier in his career, Teny was a Senior Street Outreach Worker for the City of Boston. He is also a veteran of the Israeli Defense Force and later volunteered with three different groups for peace between Israel and Palestine—often at considerable risk to his own safety.
Teny has presented at numerous colleges and universities, as well as the National Institute of Justice, Department of Justice, The White House, as well as abroad on the topics of violence reduction, managing outreach teams, professional work with the justice system, and Nonviolence. Teny serves as an advisor to The National Network for Safe Communities at John Jay College and has advised many cities in the U.S. and abroad.
For his dedication to peace, Teny was awarded the 2026 Trailblazing and Excellence in Nonviolence Award from the Rainbow PUSH Coalition. He is also the recipient of the 2015 Touro Synagogue Foundation Alexander George Teitz Award for Religious Freedom and Tolerance, as well as the Maun Award for Outstanding Community Service from the Muslim American Dawah Center of Rhode Island. Institute for Nonviolence Chicago has additionally been presented the 2025 Excellence in Neighborhood Safety and Youth Development Award from Austin Coming Together, the 2025 Coalition Builder Award from One Aim Illinois, and has been honored by NAMI Chicago for being a “game changer” in mental health for its behavioral health and wellness initiative for CVI frontline workers.
Samuel Castro
Samuel Castro has been doing outreach work for well over ten years with a variety of organizations. He started with Nonviolence Chicago as an outreach worker, but his relationship building and crisis mediation skills quickly moved him into the Outreach Manger position and eventually Director of Community Violence Intervention (CVI). Sam now holds a senior leadership role as Director of Strategic Initiatives & Partnerships, overseeing all programs and services and acting as the main contact in Austin for the city's most comprehensive anti-violence plan, "Scaling CVI for a Safer Chicago" (SC2).
In early 2024, Sam graduated from the University of Chicago Crime Lab’s Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy. This group of 31 graduates from around the U.S. will help shape violence reduction, improve public safety, and save lives across the nation. Committed to professionalizing the CVI field, Sam earned his BA from College Unbound in May 2025. Sam is a motivated leader who believes in others and always pushes himself and his team to perform at a higher level.
The last time Sam was incarcerated, he spent 12 years in custody. Upon release, he was motivated to turn his life and community around. He is close to his children and family and is truly an example of second chances, transformation, and restorative justice.