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.