THE BLOOM TEAM
Danny Shapiro, M Ed, MPP
DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS
ASSOCIATE CONSULTANT
Expertise:
Danny's passion is fostering healthy experiences for students, teachers, and communities, by delivering high quality, equitable solutions. He believes that all children should be able to thrive in academic settings to become curious and courageous leaders of a more just and collective society. Danny’s journey to education began in 2007, when he embarked on a solo backpacking trip across Southeast Asia and India. That fall, he entered an international development master’s degree program with peers from around the globe, helping to decenter Danny’s perspectives on the forces that shape our world, and uncover blind spots that often accompany learning one version of a story. His master’s studies helped shape his worldview, and led Danny to pursue his true professional calling: dismantling systems of oppression to transform opportunities for underserved communities.
Danny began his education career in 2012 as a 7th and 8th grade humanities teacher at Aspire Public Schools in Oakland, California. As a participant in the Aspire Teacher Residency program, Danny was paired with an expert mentor teacher to guide his classroom training, experiencing firsthand the caliber of instructional leadership, classroom systems design, and family partnership necessary to meet all students' needs. As a solo teacher, Danny implemented a blended learning environment by utilizing small groups to differentiate for students via targeted reading groups and personalized software, while ensuring all students were accessing grade-level standards. Additionally, being a new middle school teacher brought with it the emotional struggle that often
accompanies a lack of support, confidence, and resources. He also felt the pains of communication breakdowns between the classroom, school administration, and district office.
Using that experience as his North Star, in 2016, Danny transitioned to the Aspire Home Office, where he managed district-wide change-management initiatives that emerged from the organization’s strategic planning process. Throughout this period, he led the roll-out of Aspire’s new internal and external communication systems and protocols. Danny reshaped the communications culture at Aspire so that decisions became more predictable and transparent, and resources became more widely accessible, setting teachers and students up for long-term success.
Moving to Philadelphia in early 2020, Danny honed his nonprofit and education leadership pathway by leading school-based research partnerships at Character Lab, a Philadelphia-based nonprofit dedicated to advancing the insights that help all students thrive. He subsequently became chief program officer at Mouse, a STEM-focused nonprofit organization that delivers inquiry-led, career-connected experiences in AI literacy, computer science, and computational thinking to over 4,000 New York City Public Schools students across all five boroughs. That experience showcased Danny’s ability to partner with system leaders, develop innovative curriculum through university partnerships, and design professional development that transforms educators’ mindsets about the use of technology in the classroom.
Danny holds a master’s degree in education from the University of the Pacific, a master’s in public policy from Central European University in Budapest, Hungary, and a master’s in international development from the Institute of Social Studies in The Hague, Netherlands. He also holds a BA in political science from Brandeis University. Danny previously served on the Board of Directors for Living Jazz, a nonprofit dedicated to creating transformative music-education experiences for Bay Area youth and adults. You’ll usually find Danny on his bicycle riding around Philly, likely heading to or from a live music venue. Danny and his husband Carl live in South Philly with their two cats, Bobby and Whitney.