Danielle Strachman is a visionary founder, investor, and education innovator that stems from a lifelong mission to bring freedom, agency, and autonomy to young people. Danielle brings a wealth of experience in both the startup and philanthropic sectors.

She is a co-founder and General Partner at 1517 Fund, a venture capital firm that invests in early-stage founders outside traditional pathways, especially those who are college dropouts, homeschoolers, or self-taught. Previously, she served as the founding Program Director at the Thiel Foundation, where she launched and managed the Thiel Fellowship—a program that supports young people who want to build innovative projects instead of attending college.

Danielle began her leadership in education as a cofounder of a charter school, Innovations Acadmey focused on personalized, student-centered learning. Her unique perspective at the intersection of education, entrepreneurship, and liberty continues to inform her contributions to FEE’s mission of inspiring future leaders with the economic and ethical principles of a free society.