As executive director of the William Penn Foundation, Shawn led the creation of the Great Public Spaces grantmaking strategy, which seeks to expand access to high-quality public spaces that engage, connect and serve communities in Philadelphia and Camden. He also developed the two largest grants in the Foundation's history, a $25 million grant in support of the Free Library's 21 Century Libraries Initiative and a $100 million commitment to support the City of Philadelphia's Rebuild initiative, which will transform local libraries, parks and recreation centers. A licensed professional planner, Shawn received his graduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania.