Daniel Gallant Appointed Executive Director, House of SpeakEasy

House of SpeakEasy Foundation has announced the appointment of Daniel Gallant as Executive Director.

Amanda Foreman, co-founder of House of SpeakEasy and board chair, said of Gallant’s appointment, “Daniel is the right person to lead House of SpeakEasy at a time when supporting equal access to the power of books, ideas, and self-expression is more important than ever. The organization is poised for a new phase of growth and development, and Daniel has both the vision and the proven experience necessary to bring our work on stage, in schools, and on the road—via our Bookmobile—to the next level.”

Daniel Gallant is a development and communications strategist for arts and cultural entities, as well as a writer, lecturer and event producer. NPR's Planet Money called him “a genius at raising money for artists.” Daniel is a board member of the Nuyorican Poets Cafe, where he served as Executive Director for 13 years and raised tens of millions of dollars to fund programs, operations and a significant capital renovation. According to The Wall Street Journal, Daniel grew the Cafe “from a small, volunteer-led venue best known for weekly poetry events to a thriving arts center.”

In his role as Executive Director, Daniel will work to amplify a wide array of literary talents and voices through SpeakEasy’s Seriously Entertaining show at Joe’s Pub at The Public Theater; to bring free books and literature-focused events to additional neighborhoods across the greater New York City area with the SpeakEasy Bookmobile; and to engage young people through SpeakEasy’s innovative storytelling, writing, and literacy programs in partnership with area high schools, organizations, the New York City Housing Authority, and the New York Public Library.

“I’m thrilled to join House of SpeakEasy, an organization whose literary programs and community engagement efforts I greatly admire,” said Gallant. “I'm honored to work with this dynamic organization, and I look forward to growing our impact and guiding House of SpeakEasy to even greater prominence at the forefront of the literary arts ecosystem, alongside the dedicated board, staff, volunteers, and literary ambassadors.”

Gallant will begin work with House of SpeakEasy on June 10th.