Meet The Team

As co-founder of one of the first 100 public access websites on the 'net, John's passion has always been for websites that connect people in healthy and equitable ways. The structure and philosophy of HousingWorks.net owes itself to John's belief that large and balkanized Helping Systems are so often the major obstables to effective help, but a well-designed website could ensure that these broken networks are instantly converted to a functioning and beneficent Ecosystem model, regardless of any service provider's willingness or ability to participate on an equal footing with their service populations.

Daniel Curley joined the development team as HousingWorks emerged with a community research program, prototype code and testing early in 2000.  At the time Mr. Curley was the Executive Director of CCA, a human services non-profit providing housing case management, emergency shelter and permanent supported special needs housing to the Metro Boston area.  He brought management, human resources, research, and program development expertise to the founding team.

Daniel Curley is an innovator and leader in the field of organizational and leadership development and research.  Mr. Curley has operated DJC Consulting for the past thirteen years, providing CEO Coaching, Turn-around Management, Strategic Planning, Organization Assessment and Senior Leadership capacity building.  Mr. Curley has held leadership roles in government, non-profit, for-profit organization in the USA and abroad.  Along with these efforts Daniel provides cutting edge web based resources focused on affordable housing, client record data recording and reporting across local, state & national systems.

David Kokorowski is a physicist turned entrepreneur who has a passion for using technology to improve science education. David is also the co-founder of HousingWorks. While working on his Doctorate, he supplied all the programming and much of the interface for HousingWorks.net.

After obtaining his PhD in experimental atomic physics from MIT, David spent two years as a postdoctoral fellow developing and studying the effectiveness of a prototype online homework system. Based on this work, David joined Effective Educational Technologies (EET) and helped to develop MasteringPhysics--a personalized learning application now available across the higher-ed science curriculum and used by 30% of all US undergraduate science students. EET was acquired by Pearson Education in 2006, where David has continued guiding the expansion and evolution of the Mastering product line as well as helping define the future of Pearson's higher-ed learning technologies.

Patrick initially came to Housingworks as a network engineer but quickly became the expert in waitlist updating. Updating is perhaps the thorniest issue for low-income landlords:  hundreds of hours can be spent repeatedly updating information for applicants who will never move in. Patrick helped plan the scope of the HousingWorks Lottery Services, helped design the Lottery Pricing Sheet, helped design the current iteration of our Centralized Waitlist, and also trained all new staff in waitlist work over the years. He has  probably updated more applicant information that any other human being on the planet.

Thuan first encountered HousingWorks when he moved to Boston in 2015. Thuan historically worked with non-profits that merge sports and mental health services for low-income populations. There he developed a relationship with HousingWorks while working as a Program Director at Sportsmen's Tennis and Enrichment Center in Dorchester, MA. He first started working with HousingWorks in 2019 while in the Global Economic Governance program at Luiss University. While in that program, Thuan made HousingWorks the focus of his thesis in when he advocates for equitable urban planning. After completing his studies, he began serving as our Strategic Consultant, improving workflow operations, client experience, website redesign, team building, with the result that the entire infrastructure of the company is on a more efficient and productive footing. Thuan continues to work part-time with a non-profit that merges sports and mental health services. 

Dan started working in the HousingWorks office in 2015. After spending several years working with various non-profit organizations in MA and NC, Dan re-joined the HousingWorks team in 2022. His current focus is on accounting and finance, as well as working with housing providers to ensure their vacancies are filled quickly and correctly. Dan's past experience includes working on non-profit program evaluation, health and legal outreach for farmworkers, and labor organizing. In his free time, Dan enjoys spending time with his dog Bonnie and continues working with various farmworker-serving organizations in NC.

John began working at HousingWorks part-time in 2018 while in his undergraduate program, studying Social Thought and Political Economy at UMass Amherst.  John later moved to Boston, worked as an activist in various legal and labor organizations, and began his studies in journalism at Emerson College.  While at Emerson, John joined the HousingWorks team full-time in 2021.

John’s primary tasks at HousingWorks involve waitlist management, lottery work, and copy-editing.  He is occasionally asked to step into a management roll because of his ability to process and manage technical details while simultaneously understanding broad theoretical frameworks – a perspective that is integral to HousingWorks.  His first task at HousingWorks was using his activist, journalist, and organizing experiences to rewrite the fundamental white paper that serves as the foundation of HousingWorks’ mission. In his free time, John enjoys photography and searching for vintage records.

Joel started working part time for HousingWorks in 2019 as a lottery and waitlist moderator. In addition, he performs data entry and edits training modules for new team members.

Joel completed an undergraduate degree in Botany and Environmental Science with 3 publications in palaeobotanical journals naming and studying a novel species of fossilized plankton. He worked in Denali National Park for the summer of 2021 at an ecotourism lodge. He is a wilderness explorer and is often guiding people of wealth in the federal wilderness to enlist their investment in the preservation and protection of the few remaining truly wild areas.

He has been an avid outdoorsman his entire life and believes access to outdoor spaces is a necessity of life, not a selective quality. His work with HousingWorks reflects his passion of housing rights and each human’s quality of life.

He currently works remotely from Western Mass, with plans to pursue higher degrees in the biological and ecological sciences. He chooses to believe he has a green thumb thanks to the myriad agricultural courses he took. His work with HousingWorks has reshaped the way he views the world and the people who live in it.

Jon joined the HousingWorks team as an intern from Emmanuel College in 2022. He graduated with a Bachelors degree in Business Management and now works full-time for HousingWorks in a variety of capacities including data entry, bookkeeping, and systems re-design. Jon has had a great impact since joining our team contributing his dedication and positivity daily to the workplace. Typical of other HousingWorks employees, Jon has a past history of volunteerism, working with local clothing drives and animal shelters. Jon enjoys rowing, soccer, collecting vinyl and discovering new genres of music.