The name Bonovin comes from the Latin phrase “Bono Vince Malum” meaning
“Good Overcomes Evil.”
Justin Barra, Founder
In my 20s, I wanted to be Sam Seaborn from the West Wing. I wanted to influence the most important decisions, write fiery speeches, and lead with passion and heart. I was driven by a desire to make public education work for every kid.
In my 40s, I realized that, while I’ll never be Rob Lowe, I do have my own superpower. I have a knack for helping people navigate incredible complexity to build new things that will lead to a more just and equitable future for kids.
I’ve had the privilege to hold roles with lots of influence that got me to this point. Founding team member and Vice President of the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative. Presidential Leadership Scholar. Chief Policy and External Affairs Officer for the New Jersey Department of Education. Chief of Staff in the NYC Department of Education. I’ve shaped and given away half a billion dollars. I made decisions that impacted millions of children.
But, I learned that what brings me joy, and what I’m really good at, is creating new things. In philanthropy, that was launching our first software engineering program; building our first national policy program; and designing new $100+ million portfolios. In government, it was leading the turnaround effort of an underperforming school district and leading a state-wide reorganization of 100+ staff to achieve new goals. In a nonprofit, it was building new teams and achieving new revenue.
Now, I get to help leaders do the same. I created Bonovin to help organizations design and launch new initiatives or undertake hard strategic pivots. I work on a range of issues that affect kids, from education to mental health to climate change to youth development.
The best part of my job? I get to serve. I get to work with organizations shaping the future. I get to pull in my favorite people to work with me.
I love the gray areas of change. I love simplifying complexity. As Charles Mingus once said, “Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity.”
I may not be Sam Seaborn, but I love what I do.
You can find me at justin@bonovin.com.