Valerie Haven

Valerie Haven is the first blind individual to graduate from the Massachusetts Maritime Academy. She earned a master’s degree in emergency management. Valerie is the founder and CEO of, “Redefining Bravery.” Ms. Haven consults with various emergency management and community-based organizations, educational institutions, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). and the Department of Homeland Security. She also appeared in the training film on whole community active threat response filmed at New York University. Previously, Ms. Haven was an Academic Technology Coordinator at the University of Massachusetts. She invented a toolkit suite so deafblind students could learn online. She received both a national and international award for her invention. Ms. Haven is grateful that her work resulted in the University being acknowledged formally as the thirty-eight most technologically savvy educational institution in the world.