Dr. J.D. LaRock is the President and CEO of the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE), a global nonprofit organization that delivers high-quality entrepreneurship education to middle school, high school, and postsecondary students from under-resourced communities in the U.S. and around the world.
Since joining NFTE, J.D. has led the organization through a period of significant growth and innovation. Under his leadership, NFTE’s annual student reach has doubled from 30,000 to over 60,000 in the U.S., and its global presence has expanded from 8 countries to more than 30. NFTE has launched new programs under his direction, including Start It Up, a postsecondary entrepreneurship course; Exploring Careers, a middle school program introducing students to future-focused careers; and a new AI-focused entrepreneurship curriculum for the homeschool market.
J.D. has significantly elevated NFTE’s public profile, with the organization and its students featured in major outlets including The New York Times, Forbes, Vanity Fair, People Magazine, Inc., and The Boston Globe. He also led the development of a temporary NFTE exhibit in the new Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream in Washington, DC, and helped establish a strategic affiliation agreement with American Student Assistance (ASA) to support shared goals in youth entrepreneurship and financial empowerment.
In addition to programmatic growth, J.D. has played a leading role in national education policy advocacy. He established the Coalition of Entrepreneurship Education Organizations, bringing together peer organizations to ensure entrepreneurship education has a voice in education policy decisions. He has testified before the U.S. House Subcommittee on Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Workforce Development to advocate for entrepreneurship as a critical pathway to economic mobility.
A nationally recognized expert in education policy, workforce development, and the future of work, J.D. has held senior leadership roles in government, higher education, and the nonprofit sector. Prior to joining NFTE, he served as President and CEO of the Commonwealth Corporation, Massachusetts’ public-private authority for workforce development. In that role, he chaired Governor Charlie Baker’s Commission on Digital Innovation and Lifelong Learning, developing a blueprint for work-based learning that attracted significant philanthropic investment.
Previously, he served as Senior Education Advisor to U.S. Senator Edward M. Kennedy, playing a lead role in reauthorizing the Higher Education Act and passing the College Cost Reduction and Access Act, which expanded Pell Grants by over $20 billion. As Education Policy Director for Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, he authored key K–12 education reforms and helped secure $250 million through the Obama Administration’s Race to the Top initiative.
In higher education, J.D. was Chief of Staff to the President of Northeastern University, helping transform the school into a top-tier global research institution. He continues to serve as Professor of the Practice in Northeastern’s Doctor of Law and Policy program, where he teaches doctoral students from across the globe.
A frequent keynote speaker, panelist, moderator, and media commentator, J.D. has appeared on CBS, CNN, NBC, ABC, CNBC, FOX, and other major networks. He has presented and moderated panels on global stages including the World Economic Forum, SXSW, the ASU+GSV Summit, and other events.
J.D. is also a published author and editor of several works, including Special Education for a New Century (Harvard Education Press), Education at a Glance (OECD), and Robot Proof: Higher Education in the Age of Artificial Intelligence (MIT Press).
He serves on several boards, including:
He formerly Chaired the Boards of North Shore Community College and Families First Parenting Programs.
A proud graduate of New York City public schools, J.D. grew up in Queens in a family of educators. He holds a bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degree from Harvard University and a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center. He lives in Beverly Farms, Massachusetts, with his wife Christina, a sign language interpreter, and their daughter Callie.
