Danny Muñoz is a Senior Policy Analyst whose work bridges lived experience, applied research, and policy implementation to advance equity for justice impacted and marginalized communities. He is formerly incarcerated, a gun violence survivor, a father, a husband, and a first-generation college graduate, who brings a practitioner-informed approach to policy analysis that centers accountability, access, and systems transformation. 

Danny holds a Master of Public Policy from the Goldman School of Public Policy at the University of California, Berkeley, as well as a B.A. in Sociology with a minor in Public Policy, graduating with Highest Honors. He also earned multiple associate degrees with Highest Honors from Chabot College. His academic and professional work has been recognized through numerous awards and fellowships, including the Chancellor’s Award for Civic Engagement, the George Miller Research Scholarship, and multiple Cal Alumni Association leadership honors. 

Danny has conducted original research examining faculty–student relationships in middle schools and how adult interactions shape youth trajectories. His research and writing have been published through outlets including the Berkeley Public Policy Journal, Impact Justice, The Prison Journalism Project, and The Justice-Evolved Collaborative, with a focus on credible messengers, trauma informed education, and the harms of punitive discipline. 

In addition to his research, Danny has led and supported policy implementation efforts across education, criminal justice, and economic equity. As a Policy Fellow with the Underground Scholars Initiative, he helped secure $4 million in ongoing state funding across all UC campuses statewide and supported advocacy efforts that contributed to the passage of SB 990, aimed at parole reform. He also works directly with incarcerated and system impacted youth as a Life Coach and Reentry Specialist, supporting SB 823 implementation in Alameda County’s juvenile justice system. 

Danny’s policy consulting experience includes advising the City of Berkeley on equitable fines and fees reform, conducting mixed methods analysis, cost-benefit modeling, and stakeholder interviews to inform actionable recommendations. He has also supported nonprofit and public sector clients through client-based consulting engagements focused on parole reform, education equity, alumni engagement, and innovative technology enabled student supports. 

Across his work, Danny is committed to designing and advocating for policies that replace punitive systems with supportive, community-centered solutions, and to ensuring that those most impacted by policy decisions have a voice in shaping them.