Building a Vision for Tomorrow with Daniel P. Calderon
Listen to the episode on Spotify / Apple Podcasts / Google Podcasts
Listen to the episode on Spotify / Apple Podcasts / Google Podcasts
Brooklyn-born Daniel P. Calderon is the President of Entrepreneurs of Tomorrow (EOT) and owner of #WFHStudio.
As Daniel beautifully states, "When one is able to create space, whether virtual or in real life, they are, in fact, catalyzing creativity, which I believe leads to real solutions. That's what I want my life's work to be about."
Through Daniel’s illustrious career and life journey, he has identified challenges as opportunities, leveraging his experience and knowledge to offer new approaches. With over a decade of experience in leadership roles at Fortune 500 giants such as Target and Amazon, he has played a pivotal role in crafting internal policies, succession plans, and employee development programs, nurturing the growth of thousands of employees and leaders.
Daniel took his brilliance and launched #WFHStudio and Entrepreneurs of Tomorrow (EOT). EOT is dedicated to teaching at-promise Black and brown students to solve problems through entrepreneurship and innovation. At #WFHStudio, Daniel and a roster of master creatives produce and direct various design projects, films, and global campaigns.
What I admire about Daniel is his service-oriented mindset and unwavering perseverance. Life’s path is rarely linear, yet his ability to lead through complexity, champion useful ideas to the forefront, and rally brilliant minds around his initiatives is truly commendable.
This episode is for you if:
You’re exploring strategies for measuring and amplifying your impact
You’re passionate about making a positive impact in under-served communities
You’re seeking inspiration for building a thriving network or community
You’re transitioning from success in the corporate field to entrepreneurship
Looking for something specific?
[3:18] Growing up in Brooklyn, New York in a Caribbean household
[4:22] Parting ways with his mother as a teenager and early on recognizing that “I was not by myself”.
[5:15] Being innovative and leaning on relationships from an early age, which continues to be a key aspect of his life.
[7:40] Daniel’s first company disrupted the marketing and creative field, self-described as “creating the Uber of marketing freelancers”
[8:22] Building up savings and investments came in handy when he left Amazon to start this company
[8:40] With humour, “30 is still young, yes” 😂
[9:10] How his hard (and strategic) work was rewarded, led to recognition, and upward mobility in the corporate world. But was dumfounded when he didn’t see those same results in entrepreneurship.
[9:40] He realized that you can get addicted to the response and support of people.
[10:00] Understand the value of working in the corporate machine, for multi-billion dollar companies in the industry, and the shift in mindset required when launching a business, where financial support and connections were not so readily available.
[11:26] Is there an expectation that entrepreneurship will be easy if you are a star employee?
[14:31] Practice. Practice. Practice. And sharpening every skill you need.
[16:10] Carl Jackson, who ran an after-school program, found that 70% of students were not at the adequate math and reading levels. Daniel asked himself: “How are we ever going to close the wealth gap if this is the current reality?”
[17:10] Where the idea for Entrepreneurs of Tomorrow originated. It all started with a workshop!
[18:00] How Daniel began shaping his vision and the process of collaborating with experts.
[18:31] He met Jack Salamone, who is now his Co-Founder, in Australia at a conference.
[19:00] Follow up. Follow up. Follow up.
[21:36] Daniel discusses the significance of learning along the way and creating environments for learning.
[23:10] During the pandemic, Entrepreneurs of Tomorrow was on *pause* while Daniel built a massive audience through #WFHStudio.
[25:20] Why they are focused on teaching Black and brown students how to solve problems through entrepreneurship.
[28:00] Youthpreneur success story: Highlighting a student who created a space for youth activities, and started a campaign to raise funds to build a basketball court in his hometown of Guatemala.
[32:17] Daniel reflects that the thing he is building belongs to the public… so how do I create an environment that supports positive growth and innovation in a healthy and responsible way?
[34:43] We need the support of people who have done it before + those who have the keys to those important doors
Listen to the episode on Spotify / Apple Podcasts / Google Podcasts
Connect with Daniel
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