Daniel Ekman has an MA in Special Education from the University of New Mexico and won the 2013 Outstanding Student with a Disability Award from the Southwest Conference on Disability. He works at the New Mexico Center for Self-Advocacy as the Program Manager and Outreach Coordinator. He has worked with various advocacy organizations including New Mexico Allies for Advocacy, People First, New Mexico Young Disability Leaders, New Mexico Autism Society, and the Jemez Vocational Rehabilitation Advisory Council.