Dakarai Aarons

Chan Zuckerberg Initiative

Dakarai I. Aarons currently holds the position of Director of Education Policy, Partnerships, and Movement at the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI), where he oversees the organization’s education policy, advocacy, and systems leadership grantmaking. Prior to this, he worked as a Senior Communications Lead for CZI’s education and ventures division. With a career spanning multiple organizations, Dakarai has been Vice President of Strategic Communications for the Data Quality Campaign, where he led a national campaign focused on building public will. His media and publicity campaigns have received awards, and he has also written award-winning news coverage on education policy and practice issues. Dakarai is an active member of several boards and advisory committees, including the American Youth Policy Forum, the Wayfinder Foundation, and the Black Funders Network of the Bay Area. Additionally, he is a former committee chairman of the National Association of Black Journalists and a member of the National Press Club. He holds a bachelor of Journalism Degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Anthony Shop is Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Social Driver, a digital services firm that helps companies and nonprofits establish winning strategies with branding, social media, websites, content and advertising. Social Driver is trusted by an impressive client roster that includes Amazon, Exelon, Target, Cigna and American Hospital Association. As a result of client nominations and interviews, Social Driver has been named the #1 Minority-owned Digital Agency in the U.S. by Clutch, the #1 Minority-owned Creative Agency in the U.S. by The Manifest, and Supplier of the Year by the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce.