ABOUT DANNY

Danny grew up just 20 minutes from New York City in Riverdale, NY.  Although diagnosed with a learning disability as a child, he had a survivor’s instinct and by the time he graduated from high school, he was an active, successful student. On Cloud Nine after being accepted into Syracuse University in 1991, his worst nightmare turned into reality when a car accident left him a paraplegic.

Years of therapy and rehab asked everything of him physically, emotionally, and spiritually, but along the way he discovered the person he was meant to be.  He attended and, in 1991, graduated from the famed Syracuse University Newhouse School of Communications with a degree in Television Radio Film Management. He went on to receive a J.D. degree in 1998 from the Washington College of Law at American University in Washington, D.C.

Danny believes that people with disabilities should be encouraged to participate in athletics, and he sets the bar high.  He is a wheelchair tennis player and competes in USTA tournaments throughout the country.  He is also a long-distance hand-cycle rider, water skier, snow skier and sailor.

Today, Danny collaborates with his wife/business partner, Lynn, to interview clients and create presentations that Danny commits to memory.  They understand that each company or organization is unique regarding the issues and challenges their employees face in their careers and lives, and they tailor Danny’s presentations to address those specific needs.  A graduate of the University of Michigan and Fordham School of Law, Lynn works in Talent Management in the U of M’s Office of Development, in addition to being Vice President of Heumannly Capable, Inc.

Daniel Heumann Young Scientist Fund

A member of the Board of Directors of the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, Danny is a passionate advocate, in both the public and private sectors, for the 50 million Americans who suffer from neurological disorders.  During the past twenty-three years, Danny has raised over $5 million for research to cure spinal cord injury, previously through a separate organization named the Daniel Heumann Fund for Spinal Cord Research and more recently through the Daniel Heumann Young Scientists Fund of the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation.  This initiative, within the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation’s Individual Research Grants Program, helps ensure that the next generation of spinal cord researchers is being trained in the best environment by the best people and raises critically needed support and awareness to attract the best and brightest young scientists to the field of spinal cord injury research.  Donate to the Daniel Heumann Young Scientist Fund

Amplify Your Advocacy Efforts

Danny is a passionate advocate for bio-innovation that alleviates human suffering.  He has a keen understanding of the regulatory processes that drive legislation that can either bolster or block the development of live-saving medical technologies.  An investor in scientific endeavors and well-spoken communicator, he is able to leave an indelible impression of the need for these advances.  Contact Danny to learn how he can augment your lobbying and advocacy efforts.

“When Danny speaks, people listen. In a packed auditorium you could hear a pin drop. Danny gave a riveting account of his own young life interrupted by a devastating car accident that left his back broken, but not his spirit.” - Bernie Siegel, Executive Director, Genetics Policy Institute

"The Young Scientists Fund acts as a sort of early stage seed venture fund. We allow the early career scientists to take risks -- that's the whole point. The NIH doesn't want this sort of risk. But we do. If it pays off, investigators may well get NIH funding.”

© Heumannly Capable Inc., 2011-12