Ann Young Lee co-founded CORE (Community Organized Relief Effort) with Sean Penn, evolving from Penn’s J/P HRO which was established immediately after the 2010 Haiti earthquake. She counts her seven years living in Haiti as a foundational period that underpins CORE’s ethos – one that is focused on building resilience and led by local communities. Serving as CEO since 2015, Lee transformed CORE into an international NGO focused on emergency response, preparedness, and community building. With over two decades of experience in the humanitarian sector, her expertise spans crisis relief, urban planning, community development, infrastructure, and livelihoods. Under Lee’s leadership, CORE responds to crises globally, notably including the Ukraine and Sudan Wars, COVID-19 Pandemic, Pakistan Floods, Hurricane Helene and the Los Angeles wildfires among many other natural and conflict-induced disasters. 

Lee oversees a diverse team of nearly 300 global humanitarian staff dedicated to supporting vulnerable communities in and beyond crises. Prior to joining CORE, she worked as the lead on urban humanitarian response for the UN Secretary General’s World Humanitarian Summit. Lee holds a Master’s in Urban Planning from NYU and a Master’s in Economics & Conflict Management from Johns Hopkins University SAIS. She received the Truman Award in 2009 from the Society for International Development and the A1 Award for Social Impact by Gold House in 2025. She has been profiled in TIME, ABC News, AP, CNN, and The Chronicle of Philanthropy; and was a featured speaker at SXSW and Brilliant Minds and Economist’s Sustainability Week.