Today we’d like to introduce you to Daniel Williams.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
For me, my journey to where I am currently began with the murder of Trayvon Martin.
There was a part of me that was as enraged by the situation as we all were. However, I realized that I had a lot to say from behind a keyboard in the comfort of my living room. I was a “keyboard activist.”
This drove me to seek out ways to get more involved in community building. I had the opportunity to volunteer with a local activist, Kevin Dorival, the founder of the Courage 2 Believe non-profit, for his Black on Black Crime Solutions conference.
It was a simple action that had a profound change on the way my perspective on my responsibility to my community. I went on to volunteer with C2B for Multiple Solutions and eventually volunteered for their youth chess mentorship program in Collier City.
This introduced me to operating in the youth development space, and I would go on to grow my reputation in that space, volunteering for local organizations in Pompano Beach, as well as national organizations such as Junior Achievement, the Urban League, and the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE).
It was through this youth development work that I would come to be employed by NFTE, a national non-profit, where I am now engaged in the mission of economic empowerment of youth from under-resourced communities through the power of entrepreneurship.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
As with anything worth having, there have been obstacles and setbacks along the way. For over a decade after graduating from college, I wandered, from a professional standpoint.
Throughout my professional journey, I found that most jobs were soulless. A case could be made that many workers consider their jobs to be “useless.”
Even going back to the early 2000s, I felt the same way about many of my jobs. So much so, that I frequently quit jobs on a whim. And was fired on multiple occasions for having less than flattering words for my manager.
I also had a couple of personal setbacks, including an extended period of functional homelessness. It took well into when I should have been much more established to effectively define my purpose. Once I had a purpose identified, it became a matter of moving in alignment with this purpose.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I currently serve as the Program Director of NFTE’s Southeastern regional office.
In this capacity, I support our programming in Districts and communities that offer our entrepreneurship curriculum. I also facilitate various one-off events that introduce our programming to a wider range of stakeholders, including students, educators, and community-based organizations.
I am most proud of the opportunities I have provided for our young people in this capacity. In addition to introducing young people to the opportunities of entrepreneurship, I have been able to work with Broward Schools to provide paid internship opportunities, as well as opportunities for the young people who have been most passionate about their projects to connect with additional resources in the ecosystem that allow them the chance to continue to build towards their future.
I have witnessed young people go to college, start their careers, and even launch their businesses. And I am most proud to have had a role in providing the spark for their subsequent achievements.
I think that what sets me apart from others is that I genuinely do what I do without ulterior motives. I don’t seek the accolades, I don’t crave the notoriety. I do it because I realize that the best way to impact the future, is to empower the youth.
So maybe we end by discussing what matters most to you and why.
Family: This is self-explanatory. I have been blessed with a village that helped sculpt me into the man I am today. I do as much as I feasibly can to be that person for others.
Community: For me, it isn’t enough to simply come FROM a community. I also believe that those of us who have achieved a level of success, however it is defined, have the responsibility to give back to the community that molded us.
For each of us that may look different. For me, it’s as simple as sharing what it took me decades to learn with the next generation. If I can share the hacks I’ve picked up on my journey, I can help them to shortcut their journey to success.
Purposeful Impact.
I can’t overstate how powerful defining my purpose has been for me. It began with answering a simple question: What do I wish I knew at 17? The path the response to this question has taken me on has been transformative and empowering.
But it isn’t enough to simply have a purpose. It’s about the impact that purpose has on others, especially the more vulnerable among us.
I am driven to leave more for the world than I have taken from it.
Contact Info:
- Website: nfte.com
- Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/dwilliamsii
- Other: linktr.ee/thedanielwilliams
