MEET DAVID MCDONALD

David McDonald is distinguished educator, community organizer, leadership coach, business owner and celebrated speaker. He is the founder and CEO of Education PowerED, an award-winning company on a mission to empower culturally responsive leaders to eradicate educational inequity in communities across the nation.

David is about action. He knows the difference between lip service and speaking truth to power. He brings best practices from his career as a transformational leader in education and his experience developing dozens of leadership programs for students of color. David has a gift for connecting with any audience, relating to them through personal stories, and empowering them to leverage their own strengths to impact the world around them.

David can be found working with organizations across America; Teach For America, NAACP, Leadership for Educational Equity, Urban League, Black Chamber of Commerce, Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, and more. He creates an interactive experience that engages the crowd. His theory on Culturally Responsive Leadership is the driving force behind systematic change in any environment.

David has been featured in Aljazeera, Los Angeles Times, The Daily Texan, University Business, and USA Today and many local publications. David has lead leadership sessions across various industries, ranging in size from five to 1,000. He helps them to find a deeper purpose, achieve better collaboration, and overall increase their impact. His high-energy keynote presentations make him a top-rated speaker art every event.

David is an alumnus of the University of Texas at Austin (Hook ‘Em Horns!) with degrees in Applied Learning and Development and African Diaspora Studies. He graduated from Southern Methodist University with a Master of Education in Teaching & Learning.

At his core, David is a servant leader. He has used his influence to advocate for policies centered on equity and secured over $120,000 to support the education of underrepresented students. He has been recognized for his efforts to improve the quality of education in the city of Dallas by supporting initiatives such as, Dallas Kids First, Stand For Children, Minority Student Recruitment at UT Austin. When he is not working, David enjoys passionately debating about music, delving into the pages of a good read, and satisfying his addiction as a foodie.