Diana Mendley Rauner, Ph. D., is the President of Start Early, a nation-wide public-private partnership that advances quality early learning and care for families with children from birth through their earliest years to help close the opportunity gap.

She joined Start Early staff in 2007 and was appointed president in January 2011. Prior to joining Start Early, Diana was a Senior Researcher at the Chapin Hall Center for Children. Diana holds a Ph.D. in developmental psychology from the University of Chicago, an M.B.A. from Stanford, and a B.A. from Yale.