From Chicago’s South Side to Tech Leadership
위기 속 강한 인내| The One with Shawn Daniel, JD — From Englewood to Black Excellence: Episode 24 (2024)
“My personal relationship with Jesus has been my anchor. I’ve survived an IED blast, narrowly escaped a drive-by shooting, and faced the silent challenges of being a Black man in corporate America. Through it all, Jesus has been my friend, protector, and guide. It’s not just about reading the Word — it’s about living with the assurance that He keeps me. That truth gives me the strength to persevere.” — Dr. Daniel (2024)
“Growing up without a father, I found my path through mentors who believed in me when I couldn’t see the way forward. I firmly believe no leader’s earning potential should outpace their learning potential. Mentorship is a two-way street: I guide others, but I also learn from their fresh perspectives. Leadership isn’t just about personal success — it’s about creating a shorter path for others to achieve what once seemed unattainable.” — Dr. Daniel (2024)
Life deals us different cards right from birth, and we often find ourselves in environments or facing situations that seem beyond our control. In experiences like these, today’s guest has learned to ask the question, “So what?” to remind himself that he can always make the most of any situation. Regardless of being in rough circumstances, he has managed to bring out diamonds from them all. In today’s episode, I had an enriching conversation with Shawn Daniel, JD. Shawn’s story is one of diverse accomplishments, and I was incredibly impressed by the wisdom he has gained and shared from his journey.
Shawn grew up with his mother, grandmother, and siblings in Englewood, Chicago, which is unfortunately known for its high crime rate and gang violence. Despite these challenges, Shawn has served in the military, obtained a law degree, founded a tech company, and pioneered programs that give back to the community. Listing these accomplishments alone kept me on the edge of my seat. This episode is packed, as our discussion explored a wide range of topics — from defying expected statistics and enduring the anxiety of a loved one’s medical crisis to being safe in legal situations, starting a tech company, giving back to the community, and even forgiveness. Shawn shared stories about his upbringing in Englewood, reflecting on how far he’d come and the long, challenging road that brought him to where he is today. I’ve watched countless movies about communities like Englewood, often portraying gang violence, but Shawn actually lived through those experiences. Even in such an environment, he recalls how his mother made sure he and his siblings took advantage of programs and activities that kept them involved and productive. Ultimately, he attributes his success and focus to the healthy and positive relationships he had with other adults, like his teachers, coaches, and church community, which helped keep him on track with his goals. His mother understood the importance of establishing healthy relationships to set him and his siblings up for success, and we celebrate her for that.
Shawn’s journey is marked by a trail of achievements, and I wanted to know how he came about them all. Amazingly, Shawn didn’t plan on becoming a guru with multiple accomplishments. But throughout our conversation, it became clear what caused his success. He has a rare gift for turning even the darkest moments into opportunities for growth, finding strength and purpose in places most would only see as despair. His story begins with one of the most devastating incidents in American history — 9/11. One of the buildings targeted in the attacks was located in Chicago, and it was one where Shawn’s grandmother worked. At just 16 years old, Shawn immediately understood the need for the country to defend itself, which is when he decided to join the military. Conversations where we can openly reflect on tragic moments like these, exploring how they’ve shaped our paths and influenced our choices, create spaces for healing, inspiration, and connection. I am grateful that this podcast serves as one such space, shedding light on stories that unite us through shared experiences and reveal the resilience that can emerge from them.
How does one go from serving in the military to studying chemistry and becoming a nuclear chemist, to getting a law degree and eventually founding a tech start-up? As he transitioned from phase to phase, Shawn realized that even when you’re still figuring things out, the simple lessons you gain from your experiences — like consistency, teamwork, dedication, and ambition — are traits that will carry over to your next opportunities, providing the foundation to grow, adapt, and excel in any path you choose. I can also testify that when you keep moving forward, even without a clear picture of the future, everything eventually brings you closer to a purpose you never imagined. He recounted how his work in the energy industry sparked his passion for law and set him on the path to obtaining his law degree. It was there that he realized how deeply interconnected everything we do is with the law, and as a Black man from Englewood, he thought that if anyone should understand the law, it should be him.
Now, we dive into the events that led to the creation of TRIUNE ALERT — an application designed to bridge the communication gap between loved ones during emergencies. It all started in 2009 when Shawn was still in the military, stationed in Iraq. While overseeing the base, he received a call saying his mother was sick and had just three months to live. It was gut-wrenching news for a soldier thousands of miles away. Even more horrible was the fact that he hadn’t known about her condition. Fast forward to a similar situation years later, when his grandmother called him in upstate Chicago on a Friday afternoon to inform him that she had been sick, needed emergency surgery, and had been in the hospital since Sunday. He recalls the horror he felt as he heard his normally upbeat grandmother sounding terrible because of her medical crisis. It felt like a terrible déjà vu, suddenly bringing him back to the tower in Iraq, with that same gut-wrenching feeling of confusion and despair.
So much was unknown: where she was, how bad it was, what was happening. How many people have had similar feelings of helplessness when receiving bad news about a loved one? How many have struggled alone after being incapacitated — either due to health or legal reasons? How many couldn’t say goodbye to family or friends because they weren’t connected at a crucial moment? Once again, a horrific situation birthed a transformative sense of purpose, one that pushed him to rethink, rebuild, and turn tragedy into a catalyst for change.
This is where his thought leadership began: What if there was a system that could alert him when his grandmother was in the hospital, provide the information he needed to reach her quickly, and streamline the process of obtaining a HIPAA consent form to access her critical medical details? An application that could do all this, especially for people with elderly relatives — where every moment counts — or for families in delicate conditions like pregnancy, could be a relief, one I’m sure millions of people who have experienced similar occurrences would appreciate. The extent of this need propelled the vision of the Triune Alert System.
Here’s how Triune works: Every thirty minutes, the application checks whether the subscriber is in a hospital. If not, the system deletes the data to comply with privacy policies. However, if the subscriber is in a hospital, the system checks again after another 30 minutes. If the subscriber is still in the hospital, the app sends a notification asking whether they would like to snooze the alert to their contacts, accommodating situations like routine check-ups or patient visits. In the event the subscriber is incapacitated or experiencing an emergency, the system automatically sends a message to their authorized contacts.
Additionally, there’s the Triune Legal Alert system, which notifies important contacts in the event of an arrest or legal trouble. This is an incredible tool that could improve the American legal system, especially for the safety of Black individuals, and even help keep police officers accountable. We remembered the unfortunate incident of Sandra Bland. What if she had an application that could alert her lawyer and family of her situation? Her story might not have ended so tragically. For more information about Triune Alert, you can visit their website, which is linked below.
As someone who designs app interventions for cancer survivors, I was curious to know the measures Shawn put in place to ensure his application was relevant and what his development process was like. Innovation is one thing, but even more important is the need for sustenance and user engagement. This is valuable advice for entrepreneurs looking to build something of use to the world. Interview your end-users: What problems are you trying to solve with your technology? What situations can this technology help with? You’ll gain indispensable insights that will ensure you’re building something of real impact. If this technology is able to turn even one unsafe situation into a safer one, then every effort put into it will have been worth it, Shawn explained.
That’s not all, everyone, because now we dive deeper into Shawn’s life as a leader, growing up in a fatherless home, and his journey toward forgiveness. Looking back on his journey, Shawn realized the importance of people showing him the way to success. Now, he feels a deep, self-imposed responsibility to give back, understanding how fortunate he’s been to ascend the ladders of success. He also believes that mentorship is a reciprocal process — while teaching the younger generation lessons they may not have encountered, he himself gains valuable insights into the evolving world and the fresh perspectives shaping the future.
Talking about his dad, who was unfortunately caught up in the legal system and incarcerated when Shawn was still young, he shared that he is in the process of mending this relationship. It’s been a journey of 30 long years, but one that has been necessary and freeing. As he shared this, I also recognized my similar experience with my own father, and how he too was someone I had to learn to forgive. Forgiveness is not just a commandment for believers — it is a way to free yourself from burdens that you may not even realize are holding you back. Shawn has been through a lot in his life but there was one thing that held him together. As he recalled harrowing experiences over his lifetime as a soldier and a Black man from Englewood, stories that I have only witnessed in movies and can only imagine the reality of, he shared how his personal relationship with God had truly kept him through it all.
My conversation with Shawn was stimulating, leaving me with respect and awe for the wisdom he had gained on his journey. The future looks even brighter for Shawn now, with his wife and the exciting adventure of fatherhood on the horizon. The Triune Alert System hopes to become an essential tool in the healthcare system, providing safer outcomes for any type of emergency. This episode had something for everyone, and I hope it fills you with a profound sense of purpose to turn problems into solutions and traumas into motivation.
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Download: https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/h2cgmwafp64meugw/SHAWNDANIELJD2024.mp3
TRIUNE website:
https://www.triunealert.com/
Download Triune App: AppStore — https://apps.apple.com/us/app/triune-the-alert-system/id6504663432
PlayStore — https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.premiere.fhs