2024 40 Under 40 Spotlight: Daniel Ogunyemi, 2021

Then: Director of diversity, equity and inclusion, Ozarks Technical Community College
Now: Director of inclusive excellence and belonging, Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences at William & Mary

Daniel Ogunyemi says it was a difficult decision to exit Springfield in late 2023.

Now at the Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences at William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, the former Ozarks Technical Community College staffer said he went to college, grew up as a professional and started his family in the Springfield area.

“It was certainly not an easy place to leave,” he says.

Still settling into the “fast and furious” pace of his new position, Ogunyemi, 28, says he hopes he left a legacy behind in Springfield.

“I hope that I got the opportunity to build meaningful relationships and show people that there are many things that are possible for people of all shapes, sizes, colors, ages, you name it,” he says.

Best advice to young professionals? Be willing to say yes, not just to any and everything, but things that interest you, things that can grow you, opportunities that may not seem like they may necessarily fit.