Jinan
O’Connor
Speaker · Storyteller · Artist
I’ve always been interested in people.
What they care about. What they notice. What they give. What they believe. What makes them act. What makes them listen.
And what becomes possible when the right people find each other.
That curiosity has followed me through every chapter of my career.
I started my career as a teacher.
That beginning still shapes how I see the world.
Since then, I’ve spent almost three decades moving through education, advocacy, philanthropy, partnerships, public engagement, and rooms filled with people trying to make something meaningful happen.
I’ve worked alongside educators and communities. Built partnerships. Helped organizations grow. Collaborated with public figures and artists. Told stories. Asked a lot of questions. And learned that some of the most interesting work happens in the space between people: the moment when someone feels seen, an idea shifts, or two people realize they can make something happen together.
I’m drawn to those moments.
Today, I speak, interview, create, and bring people together around ideas I can’t stop thinking about: education, influence, generosity, storytelling, community, and what becomes possible when we use what we have (our voice, our platform, our resources, our imagination) to make something matter.
And then there’s art.
I began painting later in life, and it has become another way of paying attention. To memory. To beauty. To identity. To the things that are difficult to say out loud.
The work may look different depending on where you find me: a stage, a microphone, a conversation, a canvas. But underneath it all is the same question:
What becomes possible when we pay attention to what matters?
The question that stayed with me
Years ago, during my first week at a new job, someone asked me:
What do you want your legacy to be?
I didn’t know what to do with the question at the time.
But it never left me.
More than twenty years later, I think about legacy differently.
I’m less interested in what people remember about us.
I’m more interested in what exists because we were here.
A person who believes something new about themselves.
A door that opened.
A story that traveled.
A connection that changed what was possible.
A room that became something more because the right people were inside it.
That’s the kind of legacy that interests me.
A few chapters along the way
Education leadership
More than 25 years across education and nonprofit leadership, beginning as an elementary Special Education teacher and continuing through senior leadership roles supporting educators, schools, and communities.
Advocacy
Built relationships with school districts, states, education associations, and national partners to advance educational priorities and expand support for teachers and classrooms.
Philanthropy
Through DonorsChoose, has helped connect partners, public audiences, and resources with teachers and students across the country.
Partnerships
As Vice President of Brand Partnerships and Engagement at DonorsChoose, builds connections among brands, public figures, educators, communities, and mission driven partners.
Public engagement
Brings education and teacher advocacy into broader public conversations through national convenings, cultural events, partnerships, and public engagement.
Cultural collaborations
Has helped create cultural moments that connect public figures, educators, and classrooms, including collaborations with Karyn Parsons and Tatyana Ali centered on Black stories, reading, teachers, and students.
Media
Featured on Good Day New York discussing DonorsChoose and rallying support for teachers and classrooms.
Speaking
Speaker, Family Online Safety Institute Annual Conference
Participated in “Beyond the Screen: Building Experiences For and With Teens,” a conversation focused on creating better digital experiences with young people.
Speaker, Power Home Remodeling Leadership Convention
Spoke to an audience of more than 400 leaders in connection with education, community impact, DonorsChoose, and Resurgence Hall.
Community work
Longstanding involvement in education equity, leadership, and community impact, including the NY Equity Coalition and Women's Leadership Council.