North is a wife, mother of three, long-distance runner, children’s book author and serial entrepreneur. North is a first-generation college graduate and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology from Central Michigan University. North became a community developer with Warren-Conner Development Coalition in Detroit to make a lasting impact in her hometown. North is a cradle to career education and strategic consultant and launched her education consulting firm – EdReform Partners – in 2015 serving authorizers, schools, and nonprofits across Michigan. North specializes in public speaking, strategic planning, diversity, equity and inclusion professional development sessions, building culturally responsive organizations, operational effectiveness and driving ideas from paper to process to implementation. She’s served in leadership roles in several organizations contributing to her knowledge and expertise including, Detroit City Council, Detroit Public Schools, Promise Schools, Grand Valley State University and Give Merit to name a few.

In 2021 Danielle North launched Diploma Equity Project with two partners. DEP’s purpose is two-fold: contribute to closing the college graduation gap between low-income students of color and majority students and significantly boosting the number of college degrees earned to support the state’s Sixty by 30 education attainment goal. North is the Founding Executive Director of Degree Forward, a project of DEP that is passionately pursuing higher college completion rates for working professionals. 

As a serial entrepreneur, North has successfully founded several initiatives: Kidz Kingdom, Detroit’s first indoor playground, which is also a licensed childcare center; Detroit Women’s Leadership Network, which has grown to over 10,000 members on its Facebook platform; and Biz Kidz – to enhance her commitment to mentoring future entrepreneurs. North serves on the Stakeholder Advisory Group for Detroit Means Business. North is also a founding board member of Metro Detroit Black Business Alliance.

North has received many awards and honors for her advocacy and commitment to children, women, diversity, equity, and inclusion. She is a proud 2012 alumni of the prestigious German Marshall Memorial Fellowship; a 2018 Race Relations & Diversity Taskforce, Diversity Champion; a 2019, Detroit Free Press, Shining Light Mayor Dave Bing Future Leader Awardee and in 2021, North was awarded the honor and distinction of Crain’s 40 under 40.