# Durell Coleman

> Durell Coleman is the Austin-based founder and CEO of DC Design, a social impact strategy and design consultancy serving nonprofits, foundations and governments. Trained in mechanical engineering and sustainable design at Stanford, he combines community research, design thinking and systems thinking in work addressing multigenerational poverty, education, foster care and criminal justice. He is also an educator, a subject of Extreme by Design and a 2026 Aspen Ideas Festival fellow.

- **Role:** Founder and CEO at DC Design
- **Organizations:** DC Design, Stanford University
- **Education:** B.S., Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, M.S., Sustainable Design, Stanford University
- **Known for:** Founder and CEO of DC Design., Creator of the Design the Future STEM program., Jefferson Award for Public Service recipient, 2018.

## Career timeline

- **2011** — Completed an M.S. in Sustainable Design at Stanford; the d.school lists his program years as 2010-2011.
- **2013** — Dream Series Kickstarter campaign attracted 75 backers and $13,740; hired his first employee that year.
- **2014** — Began teaching at Stanford, according to his founder narrative.
- **2015** — Focused DC Design on social impact and launched Design the Future.
- **2018** — Received the Jefferson Award for Public Service; his LinkedIn profile dates the award to June.
- **2021** — Coauthored a study of design thinking applied to Rhode Island foster parent recruitment and licensing.
- **2026** — Named an Aspen Ideas Festival fellow and featured in a July Stanford d.school alumni story.

## Achievements

- Founder and CEO of DC Design.
- Creator of the Design the Future STEM program.
- Jefferson Award for Public Service recipient, 2018.
- Design the Future received the 2017 US2020 Most Innovative Hands-On Project Award, as listed on his LinkedIn profile.
- Featured participant in the documentary Extreme by Design.
- 2026 Aspen Ideas Festival fellow.

## Latest updates

- **2026-07** — Stanford d.school published Design Is Love, an alumni video feature about Coleman, on July 14, 2026.
- **2026-06** — Included in the published 2026 Aspen Ideas Festival fellows cohort.

## Links

- Website: https://www.dcdesignltd.com/dc-design-founder-durell-coleman
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/durellcoleman
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/DurellxColeman
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@durellxcoleman
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/durellxcoleman/
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@durellxcoleman

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/durell-coleman
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-22