Biography

Dan M. De Nose grew up in Newark, NJ as a first generation American born to Haitian parents who were determined to provide the best possible opportunities to their children. Despite his parents efforts to build an environment predicated by love, spirituality, and positive moral values, Dan’s formative years were categorized by a rebellious streak which resultedin low academic engagement, serial suspensions, and copious time spent in detention. When he was nine years old, Dan was noticed by a talent scout from the world renowned Newark Boy’s Chorus School and, after a short audition, was invited to enroll. While attending NBCS, he was given the opportunity to participate in international singing tours, perform on the set of Good Morning America, and even take the stage at Carnegie Hall. Still, the psychological effect of having been labeled a problem child severely affected Dan’s self-esteem and he continued to exhibit aggressive, self-destructive behavior.

Despite his struggles, those around Dan continued to believe in his potential for greatness and never gave up on him. This led to him attending a military summer camp, where he began to strengthen his confidence, self-discipline, and the leadership skills necessary to become a self-determinant young man. Recognizing Dan’s growth and potential, the camp director pitched the idea that Dan leave Newark to attend school in Geneva, NY. Armed with a new sense of self and the ambition to continue on his path to improvement, he transferred to school in Geneva, where he did a complete 180 turn around and began to excel. During his undergraduate study, Dan designed his own major called Rhetoric of Leadership, co-creating a program called “Leaders of Tomorrow”, which mentored to young men at the Boys and Girls club. Years before, Dan never envisioned even making it through middle school; today, he holds a master’s degree in Public Administration from Rutgers School of Public Affairs and Administration and credits his perseverance to the unwavering love and encouragement poured into him from family and others in his circle of influence. Today, Dan walks confidently in his sense of purpose and responsibility to pay it forward, and leave the community better than he found it. He’s the founder of “Leaders of the 21^st Century”, a global-aspiring nonprofit whose mission is to provide leadership and professional development for high school students in urban communities, in order to teach them how to positively impact their local community. Taking his own life experiences as lessons that empower him to help others, his motivating ideology is that success is determined by faith, positivity, hard work, and the belief that all things are possible