Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) CEO and leadership

Dr. J.D. LaRock is President and CEO of the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE), a global nonprofit organization that activates the entrepreneurial mindset and builds startup skills in young people from underserved communities. Reaching more than 100,000 middle and high school students annually, NFTE works with 2,000+ schools and community partners in 10 metropolitan regions across the U.S., as well as eight countries spanning Asia, Europe, the Middle East and North America.

An educator, scholar, and federal/state policymaker, Dr. LaRock joined NFTE from the Commonwealth Corporation, Massachusetts’ workforce development authority, overseeing job training and education programs that serve 25,000 adults and young people and 5,000 businesses per year. As Commonwealth's President and CEO, J.D. chaired Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker’s Commission on Digital Innovation and Lifelong Learning, producing a blueprint for innovative work-based learning models that garnered significant investment from major foundations.

Previously, J.D. served as senior education advisor to the late U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy, leading work on the renewal of the federal Higher Education Act, as well as passage of a law that provided $20 billion in new Pell Grants to college students. As education policy director for former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, he helped author a K-12 education law that enabled turnarounds in low-performing school districts and helped the state win $250 million through the U.S. Department of Education’s “Race to the Top” program.

For much of the past decade, J.D. has worked as a scholar and university administrator focused on experiential learning, entrepreneurship, and the future of work. As chief of staff to the president of Northeastern University, he served on the leadership team that completed Northeastern’s transformation to a top-ranked global research university. J.D. is Professor of the Practice of Law and Policy at Northeastern and has edited and co-authored the books Special Education for a New Century (Harvard Education Press, 2005), Education at a Glance (OECD, 2012), and Robot Proof: Higher Education in the Age of Artificial Intelligence (MIT Press, 2017).

J.D. grew up in Queens, New York in a family of public school educators, and is a proud graduate of the city’s public schools. He earned his bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate at Harvard University and his law degree at Georgetown University. He resides in Massachusetts with his wife Christina, a sign language interpreter, and their daughter Callie.

Experienced Chief Financial Officer with a demonstrated history of working in the nonprofit & health care industries. Highly accomplished, results-driven Finance Executive with proven ability to reduce costs, increase profitability, improve cash flow, and minimize risk. Special expertise in financial reporting, budget control, and financial planning. Adept at developing and implementing policies and procedures, re-engineering processes, and leading top-performing teams. Skilled at training executives in financial procedures. Experienced at improving operations through workflow streamlining and process standardization. Strong finance professional with a BBA/MBA focused in Public Accounting from Pace University - Lubin School of Business.