Danielle Allen

Danielle Allen is James Bryant Conant University Professor and Director of the Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Ethics at Harvard University. She is a professor of political philosophy, ethics, and public policy. She is also a seasoned nonprofit leader, democracy advocate, national voice on pandemic response, distinguished author, and mom. Danielle’s work has taken her from teaching college and leading a $60-million university division to driving change at the helm of a $6-billion foundation, writing as a national opinion columnist, advocating for cannabis legalization, democracy reform, and civic education, and most recently, to running for governor of Massachusetts.

During the height of COVID in 2020, Danielle’s leadership resulted in the country’s first-ever Roadmap to Pandemic Resilience; her policies were adopted in federal legislation and a presidential executive order. Danielle also made history as the first Black woman ever to run for statewide office in Massachusetts. She was the 2020 winner of the Library of Congress' Kluge Prize, which recognizes scholarly achievement in the disciplines not covered by the Nobel Prize. Her many books include the widely acclaimed the Declaration: A Reading of the Declaration of Independence in Defense of Equality. She writes a column on constitutional democracy for the Washington Post.