Daniel Williams is the Founder and CEO of BlueLena, a full-service strategy consulting and technology services provider helping media and nonprofit organizations achieve sustainability by growing audiences and diversifying revenue streams. With three decades of leadership experience in the media and publishing industry, Daniel is known for driving digital transformation, audience and revenue growth, and innovative business strategies that advance the mission of high-quality and independent journalism.
Before founding BlueLena, Daniel co-founded LEAP in 2011 and served as its CEO for six years, guiding the company through its acquisition by BlueVenn Upland, where he continued as President of the U.S. division until 2020. At the time of its acquisition, LEAP supported more than six hundred journalism organizations with over $1 billion in revenue and twenty million reader relationships under management.
Earlier in his career, he held executive roles with prominent news organizations including The New York Times Company, Gannett, McClatchy and The Day Publishing Company.
In addition to his work at BlueLena, Daniel serves as Vice Chair of the Board at NC Local and on the NC Tech Advisory Board. He has also held leadership roles with the Local Media Foundation and the INMA North American Board of Directors, and is a member of the Wolfpack Investor Network.
Daniel holds a B.S. degree in Political Science from North Carolina State University. He lives in Cary, NC with his wife and three children. Outside of work, he enjoys running, hiking, mountain biking, listening to podcasts, and reading historical non-fiction and classic literature.