Daren Dickson

Daren Dickson is Chief Culture Officer at Valor Collegiate Academies. Previously he spent 16 years as a therapist, social worker, clinical and program director, and social justice advocate. He is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and has spent much of his career working with vulnerable youth and communities through Seneca Center, a non-profit agency in the Bay Area, California. At Seneca, Mr. Dickson helped to envision, build, and implement a range of programs, including schools, aimed at empowering youth, families, and communities to create more satisfying lives for themselves.Mr. Dickson has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering (Denver University and Stanford University) and a Master’s degree in Integral Counseling (California Institute of Integral Studies). Having studied traditionally left-brain and right-brain disciplines, he finds great value in striking a balance between them and in helping young people develop this capacity in their own lives. In his free time, he likes to revel in his twin three-year-olds who remind him to be present, wild, and embodied. He also loves spending time with his wife, Lauren, who is his rock and partner in social work, and with his dog, Jetsan, who reminds him daily what it means to give goodwill freely to the world. He’s also Valor Founder and CEO Todd Dickson’s identical twin brother and has fun confusing everyone.