Kenneth Daniel, BBA '20
Kenneth Daniel, BBA ’20, believes following your passion can make a world of difference in achieving career success and happiness.
Kenneth is following his passion – or “North Star,” as he calls it – as he prepares to merge his love of marketing strategy and the automotive industry this summer in his new job in New York as a district sales manager at Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, where he completed two internships previously.
A new scholarship from the University of Michigan Ross School of Business helped guide him along his career path. Kenneth was the first recipient of the World of Difference Scholarship, made possible by donors to the school’s Annual Fund – a versatile fund that benefits Ross students, programs, and faculty.
Having scholarships like the World of Difference really helped me to focus more on academics and less on paying rent or tuition, or navigating X, Y, and Z,” he said. “It allowed me to alleviate the pressure that a lot of other students face on a day-to-day basis of trying to pay for school.
Kenneth has been following his career passions for some time now. In 2016, he founded D&R Marketing Agency, a Detroit-based firm that, to date, has developed marketing strategies for 10 start-up companies. Kenneth also enjoys helping others succeed in their business studies, serving as a seminar assistant for Michigan Ross’ Preparation Initiative for the past two years, by mentoring 10 BBA students.
The Motor City native grew up in a family deeply rooted in the automotive industry – both of his grandfathers moved from Georgia to Michigan to work in the auto plants. When he was younger, Kenneth didn’t necessarily plan on working in the automotive industry, although he couldn’t deny his love of cars. “I could pretty much name any make and model of every car I saw driving down the street,” he recalled.
In the summer of 2018, Kenneth worked at Fiat Chrysler in New York City. During his internship, he worked with dealerships’ social media outlets, helped track user engagement and saw how posts led to increased business with the company. He’ll now turn his attention to working at one of Fiat Chrysler’s nine business centers around the country, serving as a liaison between the automaker and smaller auto dealerships, helping them with sales and marketing processes.
“It gives me the opportunity to travel and be in the field going to different dealerships,” he said, noting the position ties together many aspects of his skill set: marketing, consulting, and strategy work.
Kenneth, who has a minor in social work, anticipates making a world of difference along another career path, as well. After spending some time in the automotive industry, the community-minded Ross graduate hopes to pursue an MBA and pivot to the non-profit sector eventually. Growing up in a middle-class family in Detroit, Kenneth knows he wasn’t as disadvantaged as many others in his community. However, he couldn’t help but notice that educational and career advancement opportunities could still be elusive in southeast Michigan.
“I’ve learned that education and neighborhood safety can both be rehabilitated with the right mindset and course of action,” he said, noting he’s passionate about bridging the resource gap for youth in urban communities. “I want to become a catalyst for change in Detroit and other urban communities where people of color are systemically at a disadvantage.”
Kenneth said having educational support from donors to Ross helped him focus on following his passions.