31 Jan 2025

Know Your HBS Staff: Daneli Ureña

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by Shona Simkin

Daneli Ureña’s passion for people, service work, and leadership development has taken her all over the world. Now, as a coaching and program coordinator with the Career and Professional Development Office at Harvard Business School, she’s helping students present their best self in job interviews. We talked with Daneli about the progression of her career, her love of travel and food, and more.

What was your path to HBS?
In 2021, I decided to launch a side business and quickly realized I needed something more. My cousin sent me a job listing for an online learning facilitator (OLF). It sounded interesting and turned out to be perfect. It was virtual, part-time, and allowed me the chance to learn from HBS professors in the classroom. It gave me time to invest in the business while learning a ton—the first classes were in entrepreneurship and branding, which was perfect for what I was doing. I’d never worked on a virtual team before, but it was pleasant experience. My manager made it feel like a community, even though we were spread across the US.

One day, I mentioned to my manager that I wanted to take on extra hours, and an opportunity came up to support the director of the MBA Program with administrative calendar work. Through a series of conversations, I began to see that there might be a career path for me at HBS. By then, my side business was up and running, and I had been an OLF for about two and a half years. I was craving more interaction with people, so I decided to explore a full-time, in-person role. I applied for the customer service specialist position in the Career and Professional Development Office, worked in that role for a year, and then transitioned to my current position as coaching and program coordinator in December.

What is your side business, and what did you do before coming to HBS?
I built a side business in leadership development, working either through individual coaching or collaborating with nonprofits doing similar work.

My journey has been a bit unconventional. I’m trained as a teacher and taught middle and high school Spanish. After a few years I felt moved through my Christian faith to do something internationally and I went into nonprofit work with children and youth. I traveled to Asia, parts of Africa, Eastern Europe, and Latin America—it was a meaningful experience to listen to young people and their struggles and remind them of their inherent value. I learned a lot about international development and its challenges in different contexts.

That led me to pursue a master’s in international development, and I moved to California to attend theological seminary. I realized I wanted to focus on people and their leadership development—helping people grow as they do the hard work in front of them. I then worked for an international organization focusing on leadership development around the world, teaching for their master’s program in organizational leadership and leading informal leadership workshops. After almost 10 years of international nonprofit work, I took a two-year sabbatical to explore what else I wanted to do. That’s when HBS came into the picture!

It’s been quite a journey that’s been integral to who I am. I come from a family deeply involved in service, and that’s at the core of who we are and how we engage with the world. I never imagined that this foundation would take me around the world, changing and challenging my views and values along the way.

What is your work like day to day?
I’m still transitioning into my role, which focuses on connecting students with the resources they need and providing job readiness programs around—resume and cover letter reviews, coaching, and practice interviews—anything to help them show up at their best during interviews.

Right now, I’m scheduling coaches for February, which is when we have practice interviews for students in both years. We offer in-person and virtual interview practice—students get about 40 minutes to practice with a coach and receive feedback. We also run programs for job search strategy, and career visioning.

How do you view the progression of your role?
It’s leading me towards toward the things that I know I do well—using my organizational skills and thinking out of the box. I’m excited to make it my own and add a Daneli twist to it. This new role allows me to support students in a more tangible way. Previously, I connected coaches and students, but now, as the coordinator, I can think of new ways to make connections that will benefit students as they prepare for graduation or their second year. All those little steps are taking me toward the things I know I’m wired for.

How do you find balance with this role and your business?
The beauty of this job is that it’s well-defined—it helps me manage my availability and energy. Everything outside of this role is a passion project, so when inspiration strikes, I dive in. It motivates me, and the vision and mission keep me going. My side business isn’t a chore; it’s a way for me to recharge. Collaborating with others lightens the load. In previous roles, there were times when I was "on" almost 24/7—nothing compares to that level of demand. This job allows me to channel my active energy in a more balanced way.

Tell us more about your family and history of service work.
I was born in the Dominican Republic to pastors—my mom is Costa Rican, and my dad is Dominican. When I was eight, we moved to Guatemala for my dad’s graduate studies and four years later, we relocated to the US, where he had the opportunity to start a Latine church in Brockton, Massachusetts. Growing up my mom worked in an international Christian nonprofit, often bringing us along to witness her work in health education. Growing up in the church, I watched my parents serve others with unwavering dedication. Now retired in Costa Rica, my mom continues to pour into her community, supporting women and children from least resourced communities.

What do you like to do in your spare time?
Travel makes me so happy, especially when it means seeing people I love. My good friends are spread all over the world and the US—so I always look forward to planning trips, hosting visitors, or setting aside time with loved ones. Whether it’s a call with a friend or my siblings or a morning greeting from my parents on WhatsApp, those connections always feel special.

I’m also a foodie. If you want to win me over, recommend a favorite spot or, better yet, take me there so we can experience it together. Food is everything, especially when shared with good company. If you ask anyone who knows me, they’d say my two great loves are travel and food.

I also enjoy a good book—I love learning, especially about leadership, people development, and global perspectives that deepen my understanding of different cultures. Beyond that, I cultivate practices that nourish my inner life, like contemplative prayer, hiking in the woods, or walking on the beach—each help me grow and be fully present in the world.

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