Shannon O’Malley

Development Manager

Shannon O’Malley, Development Manager at HARNESS, drives impactful projects at the intersection of storytelling and social justice.

From working with grassroots non-profits to corporate philanthropy at Nike, Shannon’s career experience spans a spectrum of issues, communities, and opportunities for impact. Before launching her own independent consulting practice, she was a strategist at a purpose-driven communications firm, where she notably led TheLifeStory.org for the NoVo Foundation’s Ending Violence Against Girls and Women initiative.

For the last 5 years, Shannon has been consulting on a range of projects contributing to development and launch of the film Sell/Buy/Date; partnering with Mercy Corps on strategic communications for global refugee support; supporting the research and development for social-justice television series produced by Wise Entertainment; and contributing to impact strategy with Picture Motion. She is currently the Everyday Feminist Fellow with Global Fund for Women.

Shannon attended University of Arizona, where she played lacrosse and graduated with a degree in Communications before pursuing a Master’s in International Relations at Hult Business School in London.


A Bay-area native based in Brooklyn, Shannon volunteers as troop leader with Girl Scout Troop 6000, a program designed for girls across the New York Shelter system. Cooking up a new recipe, spending time with her nieces, taking a spin class, and listening to live music are what fills her cup. She is inspired by the idea that “strength lies not in what you have, but what you can give.”