Joel Daniel Harris
Joel Daniel Harris is the founder and Executive Dreamer of TomTod Ideas.
Working with middle schoolers through TomTod is JDH’s passion because “middle schoolers live in this prime real estate at the intersection of intellectual ability, imaginative capacity, and passionate energy. There is no group of more awkward, more lovable people on the planet, that have the capacity to initiate such impactful change.”
Born and raised in Canton, JDH is a graduate of Glenoak High School, received a Bachelor’s degree from Malone University, a Master’s degree from George Fox University, and is pursuing a Masters in Education Leadership currently through Harvard University.
A longtime community advocate, JDH is a graduate of the 26th class of Leadership Stark County, has since chaired multiple learning day committees, was part of the founding committee of Stark SOUP, has served on both the yStark and United Way Young Leaders Society steering committees and led multiple service learning trips for Malone University to the Taizé Monastery in France.
Joel Daniel has been honored to receive a number of community service awards including Canton Public Educators Association’s Layperson of the Year (2014), Malone University’s Young Alumnus of the Year (2012), Twenty under 40! award (2015), the DeHoff Emerging Philanthropist Award (2017), and was a Thirty Faces of Leadership Stark County Honoree (2017).
JDH, his wife Joy, and their two daughters (eight-year-old Everett and six-year-old Amelie) live in Canton City School District. As a family they enjoy walking to Vassar Park, spending time outside (usually tackling absurd landscaping projects), hiking (current goal is a hike a week in 2023), and navigating the chaos that is raising two tiny humans.