Daniel Kúmápàyí carries a name rooted in resilience — Kúmápàyí, meaning “death should not take this child.” Born in Lagos, Nigeria, and raised in Michigan after immigrating to the U.S., he forged his own path in the arts from a family rooted in traditional professions. He currently serves as Education Manager for INTEMPO. He previously served as a Music Teacher and Arts Liaison with Chicago Public Schools, supporting arts initiatives and securing partnerships and funding that expanded student access to the arts. In this role, he led Project Greenway, a youth-led reimagination of Altgeld Gardens on Chicago’s South Side, culminating in a public exhibition at the National Public Housing Museum focused on student voice and creative placemaking. He is an alumni of the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network of Chicago Leadership Institute. He has collaborated with the Chicago Park District, the People’s Music School, and Alliance Française Lagos. He also has concert and production experience, serving as a Production Assistant with the Chicago Philharmonic Orchestra and as Production Manager for Àkójọpọ̀’s 2023 African Art Music Commissioning Project. His work on Pan-African art music was published in the American Journal of Arts Management.