Sam Rivera

Sam is an Afro/Taino New Yorker focused on harm reduction. Influenced by his upbringing in the Lower East Side and his mom — a nurse — and his time in prison, Sam dedicated his life to helping others find their footing in New York City. He spent years at Fortune Society where he led HIV/AIDS programming. It wasn’t until three years ago when he took a leap to run OnPoint, a small Harlem-based non profit focused on harm reduction. Since taking leadership, he launched the first open prevention center in the United States.

OnPoint has saved hundreds of lives, connected community members to social services and housing — helping folks recover from addiction — and all the while, collecting essential data to prevent future harm. His vision for NYC is to expand this model and support its growth through other stellar non-profits, research, and policy.