
“Daniel is a one-man artist, change maker, and supporter of all people. He's the one man I know who can see a vision, who he needs to make it happen, and make sure that everything he saw in the original vision actually happens.” - Jessica L. Pierce, National Chair BYP100 (Featured on MTV’s 10 Social Justice Organizations you need to know.) BIO: Daniel Dart is the founder of Solo GP fund Rock Yard Ventures. His journey from homelessness and incarceration to where he is today shows how powerful second chances can be. A leader and advocate for underserved and underprivileged communities, he has worked on the ground, helping build equity and social movements on both a local and global scale. A rare talent, he matriculated to the London School of Economics graduate school without ever having received an undergraduate degree. In addition to being published in Harvard Business Review and the World Economic Forum, he has presented his academic and economic research worldwide, including in Sri Lanka, China, Ireland, Japan, and the United States. Daniel's journey to where he is today is anything but typical. He was born in the Bay Area but spent most of his youth in Southern California. He experienced homelessness on the streets of San Diego and Los Angeles between 1999-2001, a chapter of time that shapes everything he does today. Daniel was also the brainchild of a prominent punk-rock band, Time Again, where he wrote and sang about social issues, poverty, and getting through life one day at a time. In 2011, he was sentenced to 6 years in prison, where he filed and won an appeal to reduce his sentence by two years. Upon release, with a new perspective of owning his flaws while being true to himself, he made amends and launched the second chapter of his life – one that focuses on the altruistic value of helping others. He also holds an MBA from MIT, where he is the first formerly incarcerated student in the school's history and a recipient of the Dean's Fellowship, Sloan Leadership Fellowship, and Pechacek Fellowship awards and scholarships. He is an active member of Milken Institute's Young Leaders Circle, an Advisory Board Member of Village Capital, and a Fellow of the Salzburg Global Forum.
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Austin, Texas, United States
General Partner
Rock Yard Ventures
• www.linkedin.com/company/rockyardventures
Jan 2024 - Present
Austin, Texas, United States
Young Leaders Circle
Milken Institute
• www.linkedin.com/company/milkeninstitute
Feb 2021 - Present
Los Angeles, California, United States
Advisory Board Member
Kickstart Global
• www.linkedin.com/company/kickstartglobal
Dec 2022 - Present
London, England, United Kingdom
Venture Partner
Alpaca VC
• www.linkedin.com/company/alpacavc
Aug 2022 - Dec 2023
New York, New York, United States
Advisory Board Member
Village Capital
• www.linkedin.com/company/village-capital
Mar 2021 - Dec 2023
Washington, District of Columbia, United States
Investor-in-Residence
Dynamo Ventures
• www.linkedin.com/company/dynamovc
Feb 2023 - Sep 2023
Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States