Justin Barra

Justin founded Bonovin in 2022 to help youth-focused organizations launch new initiatives. Over the past 20 years, Justin has developed and launched new initiatives in the nonprofit, technology, governmental, and philanthropic sectors.

He most recently was a founding member and served as Vice President of Education at the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, where he oversaw policy and advocacy, evidence based design, and inclusive design for the Initiative’s education team. During that time, Justin developed and launched a number of new programs at CZI, including: the foundation’s first $120 million education fund; the Initiative’s first software engineering program; and the Initiative's first national policy program.

Prior to joining CZI, Justin served as the Chief Policy and External Affairs Officer for the New Jersey Department of Education. He previously worked at the New York City Department of Education, where he served as the Chief of Staff for the Deputy Chancellor of Portfolio Planning, and at the KIPP Foundation, where he built local and federal policy initiatives and oversaw the Foundation's marketing and communications team.

Justin holds a MPP from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and a BA from Georgetown University. He is a Presidential Leadership Scholar, a program hosted by four presidential libraries to support leaders that are “focused on solving society’s toughest challenges and creating measurable change in their communities, our Nation, and the world.

Justin previously was a musician and songwriter whose music was featured on national television shows and commercials. He is a husband and father of two passionate and joyful children.