Danielle L. Sydnor is a civil rights leader, economic justice advocate, and community servant whose life's work is rooted in the belief that all people must have access to the resources required to build liberated self-sufficiency. Born in Sacramento, California, her family moved to Cleveland, Ohio in 1995 and she has dedicated more than two decades to strengthening Black communities through financial expertise, organizational leadership, and grassroots advocacy. 

Ms. Sydnor currently serves as President and Executive Director of The Presidents' Council, Northeast Ohio's 30-year legacy engine for Black business growth, where she leads strategy, fundraising, and capital initiatives on behalf of the region's Black business ecosystem. Previously, she served as the inaugural CEO of the Rise Together Innovation Institute in Columbus, Ohio, overseeing a $2.5 million annual operating budget, securing $18 million in public funding, and launching pioneering economic mobility pilots including a guaranteed income program for single-mother-led households to address poverty for more than 400,000 Franklin County residents. She is also the founder and CEO of We Win Strategies Group. Her earlier career in wealth management at Merrill Lynch, Bank of America, and PNC gives her a rare fluency in both institutional financial services and community development finance. 

Danielle's advocacy record includes a landmark victory in Ohio's payday lending reform effort, where her coalition work helped reduce predatory interest rates from an average of 591% down to 28%, delivering direct economic relief to Ohio's most vulnerable borrowers. She is a NAACP NextGen Leadership Fellow, a Crain's Cleveland Power 150 honoree, and a Crain's Cleveland 40 Under 40 recipient. She serves on the boards of Freedom Equity CDFI and Drink Modern Technologies, holds a B.S. in Finance from the University of Phoenix, and is the proud mother of two young adult sons, Noah and Giles, with whom she calls Cleveland home. 

A Silver Life Member of the NAACP, Danielle's journey within the organization began with the Cleveland Branch, where she rose from committee chair to President in 2019. At the time of her election she was the youngest person and first woman to lead the unit since 1982. During her tenure, she increased annual operating support by 150%, grew membership by 50% in less than two years, raised over $1 million through three consecutive Freedom Fund Dinners, and secured a $450,000 capacity building grant from The George Gund Foundation. 

Danielle currently serves on the NAACP National Board of Directors, where she had the distinct honor of succeeding her great aunt, Alice Huffman, a longtime National Board member, President of the California/Hawaii State Conference of the NAACP. She also serves as Treasurer of the NAACP Ohio State Conference and remains deeply committed to the NAACP's mission of ensuring the political, educational, social, and economic equality of all people.