Dana Brinson, Senior Director of Spark NC, has spent her career in service of equity, innovation and transformation in K-12 public education. Dana has more than two decades of experience as a special educator, consultant, international grantmaker, transition coach, facilitator, and nonprofit board leader. She is driven by a vision of learning that is experiential, inclusive, caring and student-centered.

Prior to joining SparkNC, Dana founded Consulting Betwixt (consultingbetwixt.com) where she serves as a transition coach and guide for nonprofit leaders and others moving through significant periods of change. Before Betwixt, Dana was a program officer at Oak Foundation’s Learning Differences Program where she managed a $20+ million grant portfolio that funded tech, research, PD and youth leadership efforts to support the success of students with learning differences such as dyslexia.

Dana holds a master’s degree in history from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, bachelor’s degrees in psychology and history from West Virginia University, and a certificate in nonprofit management from Duke University.