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DANYA3-1

Our President and CEO

"Love who you are, keep learning, be kind and empathetic and notice the small joys that surround us." - Danya Pastuszek (she/her)

About Danya Pastuszek (she/her)

danya-pastuszek-tamarack-institute-coaching-consultingDanya is a mother, daughter, wife, sister, neighbour, community-builder, and runner—identities that have shaped her passion for belonging and financial inclusion in community. Her career has also included refugee resettlement and criminal justice reform.

She spent a decade with the Promise Partnership of Salt Lake, co-designing school, neighbourhood, city, and regional partnerships advancing work on financial inclusion. From 2022 to 2024, she served as Co-CEO of the Tamarack Institute, an inaugural Schwab Foundation Collective Social Innovation Awardee, before being appointed President & CEO in December 2024.

Danya is a published author whose work has appeared in the National ObserverSocial Innovation Journal, and World Economic Forum. She is also a lifelong learner and holds an MBA, an MA in Psychology, and certifications in Systems Change, AI Stewardship, and Centering Equity in Climate Action. She is recognized as Utah Business Magazine’s CxO of the Year (2021). She is proud to serve on the advisory board for the Canadian Centre for Nonprofit Digital Resiliency and the board of Future of Good.

Danya is a requested speaker, moderator, and podcast guest who brings warmth to conversations on economic mobility, belonging, and the role of community in systems change.

Speaking & Advisory Expertise: 

  • Data strategy & collaborative improvement

  • Alignment across local, regional, and national scales

  • Place-based approaches

  • Community engagement

  • Strategic planning

  • Resourcing collective work

Want to book Danya?Complete our booking form and select "speaking engagement" as your nature of request. 

Danya's Recent Blog Posts


What is a Basic Income Guarantee?
What Lights Us Up
What Lights Us Up
Catalyzing Systemic Change through Leadership & Collaboration
Catalyzing Systemic Change through Leadership & Collaboration
What Can Talent Look Like in a Social Innovation Ecosystem?
What Can Talent Look Like in a Social Innovation Ecosystem?
Celebrating Volunteer Leaders
The Energy We Emanate and Absorb
The Future is Collective
The Future is Collective
Please Vote
The Privilege of Voting
Seeing Each Other
Seeing Each Other
A group of changemakers smile and talk
Igniting Hope and Action in Place: Reflections from Tamarack's Network
Several people observe information tables at an entrepreneur fair
Aligning in Place: Connecting Entrepreneurs and Local Collaboratives
Professional
The Professionals Who Put People at the Centre
The magnetism of collective action
The Magnetism of Collective Action
The Power of Questions
The Power of Questions
Photo of Njoki Mbũrũ, Danya Pastuszek, Marcie DeWitt, Anur Mehdic, and Margaret Wanyoike at the Victoria Forum in August 2024.
How Can We Multiply Our Purpose?
Help us find our first COO
Tamarack Is Seeking Our Very First COO!
Announcing Leadership Transitions at Tamarack
Tamarack Institute logo
Danya Pastuszek Appointed Co-CEO of the Tamarack Institute