David Vasquez

David Vasquez is a strategist working at the intersection of the public, private, and impact sectors with a focus on systems change in support of community flourishing. His areas of expertise include mental health & wellbeing, social connection & belonging, civic health, and placed-based economic development. His clients have included the American Immigration Council's Center of Inclusion & Belonging, the Stanford Healthcare Innovation Lab, Novo Nordisk, the Laura Arrillaga Andreessen Foundation, Jobs for the Future, America Achieves, and the What Works Plus Philanthropic Funder Collaborative among others. Independently, David has been focused on the epidemic of loneliness and the power of community and connection as a root cause issue in the U.S. and is a co-author of the Connective Tissue Policy Framework on government's role in strengthening social connection and community in the U.S. and is the co-founder of Connective Tissue, a newsletter on the connections, communities, and commitments that bind us together.

Previously, David has held positions at numerous organizations including Bain & Company, Bank of America, Ares Management, Redesign Health, and Sponsors for Educational Opportunity (SEO). He also served in the Office of the Governor of California (Newsom Administration) as Special Assistant to the Senior Advisor on Social Innovation where he focused on public private partnerships across the state. He is a 2x venture builder in the mental health space for startups that have raised $15M+ in venture capital. 

David was a member of the 2018 Inaugural Cohort for the Knight-Hennessy Scholars Program at Stanford University where he received both his Master of Business Administration (MBA) and Master of Public Policy (MPP). He also has a B.A. in Financial Economics from Columbia University. He lives in Brooklyn, NY and spends most of his free time reading in Prospect Park with his dog, Billie.