DANIEL L. DOCTOROFF
Having lost both his father and uncle to ALS, Daniel L. Doctoroff founded Target ALS, a transformative biomedical research nonprofit, in 2013 to accelerate discovery of effective treatments for ALS. In October 2021, Dan himself was diagnosed with ALS. Upon receiving the news, his focus shifted to scaling up the organization. Target ALS has galvanized unprecedented collaborations between academia and the pharma and biotech industry, lowered barriers to access for critical research tools, and become a hub of communication and networking for the worldwide research community, resulting in the launch of 6 clinical trials and several dozens of drug discovery programs within the span of last decade.
Prior to his diagnosis, Dan was Chairman and CEO of Sidewalk Labs, Alphabet’s pioneering urban innovation company that provides products and services that integrate smart design with cutting-edge technology to radically improve urban life.
From 2008 to 2014, Dan was President and Chief Executive Officer of Bloomberg L.P., the leading provider of news and information to the global financial community.
Prior to joining Bloomberg L.P., Dan served as Deputy Mayor for Economic Development and Rebuilding for the City of New York. With Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, he led the city’s dramatic economic resurgence after 9/11, spearheading the effort to reverse New York’s fiscal crisis through a comprehensive five-borough economic development strategy. In that role, Dan oversaw the creation of PlaNYC, New York’s path breaking sustainability plan. His memoir-manifesto, Greater than Ever: New York’s Big Comeback, chronicled his experience in City Hall. It was recently named by The Economist as one of the four essential books to read to understand New York.
Before joining the Bloomberg Administration, Dan was Managing Partner of the private equity investment firm Oak Hill Capital Partners. While at Oak Hill, Dan founded NYC2012, the organization that spearheaded efforts to bring the Olympic Games to the city.
Dan serves on the Boards of several of the companies created by Sidewalk Labs, the University of Chicago, and Bloomberg Philanthropies. He is a founding chair of The Shed, an innovative new cultural institution on Manhattan’s Far West Side. Dan is a graduate of Harvard College and The Law School at the University of Chicago. A native of Michigan, Dan has lived in New York for the past 40 years with his wife Alisa. They have three children, all of whom are proud New Yorkers.
“This is a devastating disease, and there’s been little hope for those diagnosed, including my father and uncle. Thanks to promising research of the past few years, we now have the opportunity to radically change the progression of the disease and improve people’s lives.”
