Meet Daniel
Daniel J. Downer is a Black Queer activist, facilitator, and equity strategist committed to helping people and organizations build communities where everyone has the opportunity to belong and thrive.
Drawing from lived experience and more than a decade of leadership, he partners with nonprofits, institutions, and community leaders to transform systems, strengthen leadership, and create lasting change rooted in justice, inclusion, and collective liberation.
Daniel first gained national recognition as the Executive Director of The Bros in Convo Initiative, where he led one of Central Florida’s most influential Black Queer led organizations.
Under his leadership, the organization became a trusted space for connection, healing, and advocacy. Its impact also received recognition from artist Lil Nas X.
Today, Daniel serves as a Racial Equity Consultant for Blue Ridge Pride, embedding equity into mission, programming, and services.
He is also a Senior Facilitator with The Equality Institute, where he works with organizations nationwide to strengthen leadership, navigate difficult conversations, and build cultures of belonging.
Daniel co created the Black Boardroom Leadership Institute, an award winning initiative expanding diverse leadership across the nonprofit sector, recognized with the 2023 ALP Excellence in Innovation Award and the Innovation in Marketing Pivot and Persist Award.
He is a proud member of United We Rise and The Health Equity Collective, national coalitions working to address health inequities and reimagine systems centered on justice and wellness.
His leadership has been recognized with honors including the GLAAD Rising Star Award (2018), Watermark’s Most Remarkable Person in Central Florida (2020), and the LGBT+ Center Orlando Trailblazer Award (2021). He was also a finalist for the 2023 OUT Magazine OUT100 Reader’s Choice Award. He was also named to the National Black Justice Collective’s 2025 list of 100 Black LGBTQ+ Emerging Leaders to Watch.
For Daniel, this work is deeply personal. He is committed to building a future where equity is embedded in every system and every person has the opportunity to lead, contribute, and thrive.
