Dr. Daniel E. Walker is an innovation guru and early-stage investor working at the intersections of arts and entertainment, academia, philanthropy, public policy, grassroots community organizing, and private equity.

He serves on the boards of the Heritage Music Foundation, The California Endowment, and the BLU Educational Foundation, and is a leader in the field of impact investing and fund manager diversity, advising some of the world’s largest pension funds, endowments, and foundations.

Dr. Walker is the author of the critically acclaimed book No More, No More: Slavery and Cultural Resistance in Havana and New Orleans, executive producer of the award-winning documentary television series (KCET) and exhibit (California African American Museum) How Sweet the Sound: Gospel in Los Angeles, and the founding director of the Long Beach Indie International Film and Entertainment festival. Presented in collaboration with the US Department of Commerce’s Entertainment and Media Division, Long Beach Indie showcases diverse content and content creators, creates a dialogue between the academy and the entertainment industry regarding representation of women, people of color and LGBTQ+ communities, and provides a bridge between underrepresented communities and career options on arts, media, and entertainment.

An expert in identifying and nurturing diverse creative entrepreneurs, Dr. Walker was an influential voice in the early careers of Emmy Award and 9-time NAACP Image Award winner P. Frank Williams, 4-time Grammy winner Gregory Porter, style icon Bobby Joseph (Phat Farm, General Motors), public relations influencer and televised music director Juliana Bolden (Emmys.com, Digimon), and a host of others. Graduates of his media internship program routinely go on to institutions such as the USC School of Cinematic Arts, the Newhouse School of Communications (Syracuse University), the UCLA School of Television and Theatre, University of Texas at Austin, and the American Film Institute.

Walker is a former Project Manager at the New York City Economic Development Corporation, Executive Director of the Tijuana/San Diego affiliate of Habitat for Humanity, and economic development consultant to former San Diego City Councilman George Stevens, the Broward County Chamber of Commerce, and a host of faith-based community development efforts.

Awarded a New York City Urban Fellowship, W.K. Kellogg Foundation National Leadership Fellowship, and Coro Fellowship (declined), a short list of major foundations that have supported his work includes the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the California Endowment, the Campaign for Black Male Achievement, the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, the John Templeton Foundation, and the Louisville Institute.

Dr. Walker earned a B.A. in Psychology from San Diego State University where he was also elected president of the Student Government Association, an M.A. in Latin American History (with distinction) from the University of California, Riverside, and a Ph.D. (with distinction) in Latin American and African American History from the University of Houston.

In 2018, he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from the Claremont Graduate University for his global contributions to arts, design, and innovation.