Jesse Ruben

Jesse Ruben is a Brooklyn-based singer/songwriter and philanthropist known for his easygoing folk-driven style and motivational messages. Inspired by running the New York City Marathon, his 2012 single "We Can" took on new life when it was adopted as an anthem by a Canadian elementary school and he soon launched the We Can Project as a service learning initiative across North America. Not long afterward, Ruben's music career was sidelined when he was diagnosed with Lyme Disease. After an intensive three year recovery, he returned with the 2015 single, "This Is Why I Need You," followed a few years later by the reflective Hope EP in 2019. A native of Philadelphia, Ruben made his debut in 2007 with the independent full-length Aiming For Honesty. Following in the footsteps of mid-2000s folk-pop singer/songwriters like Jason Mraz and Matt Nathanson, he presented a breezy acoustic style with introspective lyrics that usually skewed toward optimism. Briefly signed to Sony/BMG, he landed songs in television shows like One Tree Hill and played some larger shows with artists like Jewel and Ryan Cabrera, but his 2011 follow-up album, The Ones That Matter, was again self-released. After running the New York City Marathon for the first time, he wrote a motivational song called "We Can" which led off his 2012 EP, Thoughts I've Never Had Before, Part 1. A few months after its release, he was contacted by a Vancouver school teacher who had been using the song as an inspirational tool and he was asked to come perform for the students. Similar opportunities soon presented themselves and Ruben founded the We can Project, touring across North America to teach and inspire students to follow their dreams. A second EP, Thoughts I've Never Had Before, Part 2, appeared later that year as his career continued to gain momentum. Having just completed a sold out headlining tour, Ruben suddenly fell severely ill. A subsequent Lyme Disease diagnosis forced him to put his career on hold while he struggle to adhere to his own positive messaging. After a three year battle, he returned to music and released the poignant 2015 single, "This Is Why I Need You," a song inspired by his ordeal. Over the coming years, Ruben continued to write, record, and tour, offering his own commentary on issues of division and politics with songs like 2016's "Scared of America" and the rousing 2019 EP, Hope. After the 2020 love song "Future," he again took on global issues with the thoughtful "Whole World Watches."
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