Jeanne Pepper
Attorney Founder, #BlazeitForward; Host and Executive Producer, PeppTalks with Jeanne Pepper Podcast
2026
Jeanne Pepper is an attorney, host and executive producer of the podcast PeppTalks with Jeanne Pepper, and founder of the global #BlazeItForward movement. She dedicates her platform to fighting hate, protecting marginalized communities, and turning personal tragedy into actionable civic change.
Jeanne began her entrance into activism in 2018 when her son, Blaze Bernstein, a 19-year-old University of Pennsylvania student was targeted and murdered in an anti-LGBTQ+ and antisemitic hate crime by a member of the neo-Nazi group Atomwaffen Division. Following a high-profile investigation and eventual trial in 2024, the perpetrator was convicted of first-degree murder with a hate crime enhancement.
In response to this violence, Jeanne turned grief into grassroots action. She created the #BlazeItForward movement, a network of over 35,000 members on Facebook focused on championing diversity, countering extremism, and building safer, more inclusive communities through intentional acts of kindness. To further anchor this impact, the family established the Blaze Bernstein Memorial Fund in partnership with the Jewish Community Foundation of Orange County. Dedicated to supporting organizations that protect children from violence, foster emotional health, and advance the causes Blaze cared about most, the fund has endowed major community projects and public grants, including the Blaze Bernstein School of Culinary Arts at the Merage Jewish Community Center of Orange County, annual college scholarships for students overcoming adversity, the Annual UPENN RealArts Internship at the Kelly Writers House, and annual conservatory scholarships at the Orange County School of the Arts (OCSA).
Through her podcast, PeppTalks with Jeanne Pepper, now in its third season and available across major audio platforms and on YouTube, she expands these vital conversations on human rights, resilience, and community activism. Guests on her podcast include health and legal professionals, non-profit executives, entertainers, creatives and activists who have taken their talents and tragedies and leveraged it to create meaningful change. What began as a vision to elevate positive content and changemakers across digital platforms evolved into “edutainment” – a powerful medium designed to educate audiences, counter hateful rhetoric, and demonstrate how to overcome adversity through purposeful action.
A frequent speaker for conferences, schools, civic organizations, and public policy forums, Jeanne shares her story to inspire legislative awareness, community vigilance, and proactive resistance against hateful rhetoric, propaganda and radicalization. Her mission is to honor Blaze’s legacy by mobilizing audiences to turn empathy into enduring community protection and everyday kindness.
The inaugural Eradicate Hate Summit was a truly impressive gathering of leaders dedicated to finding lasting and effective solutions to violent extremism. I was particularly moved by the prominence given to survivors and family members of victims of hate and violence throughout the event. Their stories and those of so many others must be at the center of what we do and why we do it.
