Careers, Life, and Yale Thursday Show: Storytelling for Social Impact with Communications Professional Danielle Kristine Toussaint ’06

Danielle Kristine Toussaint is Chief External Affairs Officer at NewSchools Venture Fund. In this executive role, she leads brand storytelling and engagement, brokers and manages strategic partnerships, and provides support and oversight to the development and communications teams. 

Prior to joining the team, she was the inaugural Morgridge Communicator in Residence for Ascend at the Aspen Institute. Previously, she founded and led She Thinks Purple, a women-powered creative agency that leverages storytelling and live and digital content experiences to elevate women and founders of color leading mission-driven companies and organizations. She’s been a strategic advisor and or angel investor to a growing list of successful social enterprises, including EnrichHER, Rosecrans Ventures, Boost, HireGround, Path to Purpose, Jazmine Kionna, and The Well.  

Danielle is author of the book, “Dare to Think Purple: A Survival Guide for Women in Social Entrepreneurship,” published by New Degree Press, and has also been the writing pen behind op-eds and speeches for Huffington Post, Forbes.com, and TEDx. She holds a BA in Political Science and African American Studies from Yale University and a MSEd from the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education.