David Falk joined Young Audiences Arts for Learning in 2023 as Director of Development. After spending the bulk of his career as a book publishing executive, rising to VP/Publisher-level positions with Simon & Schuster and Houghton Mifflin, David made a deliberate shift to mission-based work. The catalyst came through publishing three books with charitable goals, partnering with and raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for worthy causes—The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Safe Horizon, and the ACLU.
Before joining YA, David served as Director of Philanthropy with Yaddo, the nation’s preeminent artist residency program, completing a $10M Capital Campaign to restore its 1893 National Historic Landmark Mansion. He then signed on as Senior Advisor launching a minority-led, mission-driven investment fund, offering investors a proven vehicle to invest in thousands of companies led by those historically shut out of venture capital funding—chiefly women of all races, and Black and Latino men. He later helped launch an associated nonprofit, building bridges to connect VC investors with the best startups led by overlooked founders.
David majored in English with a Creative Writing option at Rutgers University and is currently writing his first novel. He enjoys fly fishing, mountain biking, oil & digital painting, and is happiest when helping people of all ages explore and achieve their creative potential.
