Dr. Julie Riess
Co-Founder
Chief Early Education Officer
Dr. Julie Riess is Co-Founder and Chief Early Education Officer of DAY ONE, where her life’s work comes to life each day. A developmental psychologist and early childhood educator, Julie has spent her career at the intersection of research, teaching, and practice, always focused on helping children and families thrive. She led Vassar College’s early childhood laboratory school for over two decades and has explored everything from inclusion in early learning to the long-term impact of early experiences. At DAY ONE, she designed the Teacher Apprenticeship Pathway to prepare the next generation of educators. Julie is guided by a simple belief: every child deserves to feel safe, seen, and celebrated from the very start.
When I was a kid
I had a tandem bicycle named The Odd Couple. The person in the front was named Felix and the person on the back was Oscar. When my best friend had knee surgery, we just propped her cast up on the back handlebars and we were off!