Don  Howard

Partner, Head of San Francisco Office

Don Howard is a partner at Bridgespan where he leads the San Francisco office. He advises nonprofit leaders on how to refine their strategies, improve their operating models, and increase their economic sustainability. His clients have included health and human services organizations, new school developers, neighborhood revitalization initiatives, technology-based nonprofits, and foundations.

Don joined Bridgespan in 2001 with more than 10 years of experience helping leaders of private and social sector enterprises formulate strategy and improve the effectiveness of their organizations. Immediately prior to joining Bridgespan, Don was a managing director at Scient Corporation, where he advised startup e-businesses on strategy, customer experience, and technology. Prior to Scient, Don was a principal at Booz Allen Hamilton where he worked for eight years with Global 2000 clients in the US, Latin America, and Europe on issues concerning strategy, organization, and operations.

As a volunteer, Don has acted as an advisor to the boards of several San Francisco community-based organizations. He has also been an activist around HIV and other health-related issues, serving in the past on advisory boards at the San Francisco Department of Public Health, UCSF, and the National Institutes of Health. Don has also worked extensively outside the US, including a volunteer posting with a US AID-sponsored initiative to provide business advice to private enterprises in Central Europe.

Don earned his BS in industrial engineering from Stanford University, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. He earned his MBA from Stanford University's Graduate School of Business.