Michael Flaherty
President, Walden Media
Developing Hit Programming From Books

A passionate educator and enterprising leader in educational reform, throughout his career Micheal Flaherty has drawn upon his considerable professional skills and hands-on teaching experience to develop myriad online and traditional programs, curriculum and software. Flaherty recently joined his Tufts University roommate, former president of Miramax's Dimension Films Cary Granat, in founding New York-based Walden Media, a subsidiary of The Anschutz Company seeking to marry the worlds of entertainment and education, offering audiences various ways to immerse themselves in the subject matter of its television, film, new media and publishing products. As company president, Flaherty will guide Walden's vision across all business units.

A native of Boston, Flaherty has designed innovative curriculums that have captured nationwide attention from publications such as The Wall Street Journal and The Boston Globe, which called him "an entrepreneur in education." One such curriculum increased the percentage of minority students gaining admission to Boston's more elite preparatory schools by more than one thousand percent in less than six months. In order to further advance the educational prospects for students in under-performing urban districts, Flaherty co-founded the Boston-based Frederick Douglass School. He co-authored the application, which the Massachusetts Board of Education ranked first out of thirty-eight applicants. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts awarded Flaherty and his Frederick Douglass co-founders $15 million to commence the formation of the school.

As an author, Flaherty has been published in leading periodicals, including The National Review and The Boston Business Journal. He began his career as a speechwriter for William M. Bulger, president of the Massachusetts Senate, as well as Massachusetts' current attorney general, Tom Reilly. Flaherty received his B.A. from Tufts University.

Flaherty, his wife and two children call both Boston and New York home.