Lani Santo

Lani Santo is the CEO of Footsteps, which provides comprehensive individual support to people who have chosen to leave the insular communities of ultra-Orthodox Judaism. It also aims to shift culture and increase thought leadership, educating the greater Jewish and broader public about the experiences of this population in order to make space and community for them.

Under her leadership, Footsteps has brought its issues into the mainstream dialogue of the Jewish community and beyond. Highlights include Footsteps’ participation  in a Peabody-nominated New York Times investigative piece on ultra-Orthodox yeshivas, and the Netflix documentary, One of Us.

Prior to joining Footsteps, Lani served as a Senior Program Officer at American Jewish World Service. She is an alumna of the Wexner Field Fellowship and has served as a board member or advisor for Avodah, Unchained at Last and Upstart, among other organizations. She graduated from Barnard College and holds a MPA degree in Public and Nonprofit Management from NYU’s Wagner School of Public Service.