Danielle Puzzo
Danielle Puzzo is a passionate educator and founder of The Manipulative Mama, an education consulting business focused on play-based learning and individualized strategies for young children. With over 15 years of experience in special education, early childhood, and STEM coaching, she has dedicated her career to creating engaging, hands-on learning experiences that help students build confidence, resilience, and a love of learning. Her approach emphasizes manipulatives, games, and real-world connections rather than traditional rote methods, and she also coaches parents to reinforce these strategies at home.
Throughout her career, Danielle has developed and led programs for students from diverse backgrounds, partnering with families and schools to strengthen academic achievement, leadership, and social-emotional growth. She has expertise in curriculum design, staff training, program evaluation, and data-driven insights, ensuring that every initiative is thoughtfully aligned to student needs. Danielle’s work consistently emphasizes equity, inclusion, and access, striving to create supportive environments where all students feel valued and empowered to succeed.
Danielle holds a Master of Education in Reading/Literacy from Georgian Court University, as well as bachelor’s degrees in Special Education and Early Childhood Education from Kean University. After a successful public education career, including her most recent role as a STEM coach, she transitioned in 2025 to focus on her consulting business and family. Her professional philosophy centers on fostering creativity, independence, and practical skills in young learners while helping parents and educators implement effective, engaging teaching strategies.
• Board of EDU Certified
• Literacy Reading Specialist Certification
• Georgian Court University- M.Ed.
• Kean University- B.A.
• STEM Coach
• HiStep
What do you attribute your success to?
I would say I'm very ambitious, I'm very hardworking, and if I have a goal in mind, I do not give up, even when things get hard. I've always been someone whose mind is constantly going, and I push myself to achieve what I set out to do. Even when faced with challenges, I stay focused on my goals and keep moving forward. That determination and refusal to give up, no matter how difficult things become, is what has driven my success throughout my career and now as I launch my own business.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best advice I've received throughout my career is definitely about finding balance. I'm someone whose mind is always going, and sometimes when that happens, you just get overworked. Finding the balance between work and personal life was something I really needed to hear, because I would get burnt out too quickly. That advice about balance has stayed with me and continues to be important as I navigate my new business while being home with my young children.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Never give up on your goals and dreams.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Right now, the biggest challenge I'm facing is finding balance, especially because I'm working from home with an 18-month-old. Taking the time to sit down and figure out what my next steps are while managing everything is difficult. I'm also on social media right now trying to promote myself, and creating that content has been very time-consuming. It's about finding the balance of deciding, alright, on this day I'm going to sit down and come up with a curriculum for 3-year-olds, and today I'm going to work on a math curriculum for 18-month-olds. That's what I'm managing right now. Another challenge for me is instant gratification. I love instant gratification, and if I don't see results immediately, I can burn out until I see it. I have to remind myself that it's only mid-February and I just started in December, so it takes time. I know I can achieve my long-term goals, I just want to get there quickly, and I have to keep reminding myself that it takes time.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Balance is very important to me in both my work and personal life. I'm very much a sports person and used to play basketball, and I incorporate a lot of game-based learning into my own teaching. My husband and I are very outdoorsy, and we do a lot of hiking and camping with our kids. Football is a big one in our house. Both my husband and I feel that making connections to the real world out there is what helps our children learn, so we're always traveling with them. We believe in hands-on, experiential learning through nature and real-world experiences, not just sitting with flashcards and screens. Spending quality time with family while also pursuing meaningful work that helps other families is what matters most to me.