Anything can happen

It was move-in day at the University of Dayton when Nick Daniel ’03 waved goodbye to his parents, watching as their car faded from sight. For the small-town kid from Russia, Ohio – (pronounced Roo-she), population 600 – the day’s hustle and bustle wasn’t as memorable as the quiet that followed: an independence that arrived all at once, equal parts frightening and exhilarating.

“You don’t know that many people, everything is new, and you’re on your own,” said Daniel. “At the same time, that freedom and feeling that anything can happen is what still sticks out to me.”

A middle child, Daniel and two siblings followed in the Flyer footsteps of their father, Gary Daniel ’78, an electrical engineering graduate who introduced the family home to groundbreaking technology — a computer. Daniel spent hours at the library as a child, thumbing through BASIC programming books, chasing the thrill of writing a line of code and watching it come alive.

That lifelong love of tinkering naturally led him to computer engineering.

“That instantaneous feedback loop where you write something, see it run and keep building — that’s what drew me to computer science,” he said.

After graduation, Daniel’s career began on what he calls a “pretty standard track” as an Air Force contractor; however, he found himself wanting to understand not only how technology worked but also how it shaped businesses and lives. An MBA from Boston University opened that door, eventually leading him to Google in 2010, just three blocks from where he was already living in his New York City apartment.

“Growing up in a community that was so oriented toward people truly caring about one another and supporting them — I think that shaped a lot of the way I view the world. UD reinforced that sense of mission and service.”

At Google, Daniel found a blend of engineering and client-facing work that suited him. He started as a sales engineer, then moved to the Google-owned company YouTube as a services product manager. The work was exciting, but the company’s rapid growth left him wondering what else was possible.

“When I started at Google, there were 15,000 people. When I ended, it was 50,000,” he said. “At the end of the day, what I was working on was selling more ads to people. Selling ads was not the thing that I got excited about in the morning.” Daniel craved purpose and, in 2014, he found it at Etsy, an online marketplace for independent makers and small businesses.

“Most people thought [Etsy was] just an online jewelry store, but the mission is to help small businesses and entrepreneurs sell their products to customers all over the world. That spoke to me,” said Daniel. “No matter who you are, if you have the skill and the will, you can put it in front of the whole world. Especially coming from a community where opportunities were limited, that resonated deeply with me.”

Daniel stayed at Etsy for 12 years, rising to the position of chief product officer. He led teams in product management, design and research, maneuvering through significant wins and challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I’m grateful to have been at Etsy during COVID, helping get masks out to the world,” he said of the effort the company made to encourage its sellers to produce them. “That was a huge thing we did. Being there post-COVID, helping sellers navigate this dynamic period and get their products out to buyers, it’s just been super rewarding.”

In 2019, Daniel and his wife packed up their lives in New York and returned to Ohio with their three children. The move to Columbus was practical — to be closer to family — and intentional. While he continued dividing his time between traveling and working remotely for Etsy, Daniel considered growing opportunities at home.

“What I really want to do now that I’m back is make it possible for people to do the things they want to do here in Ohio, rather than feeling like they have to leave for California or New York,” he said. “The quality of the talent we develop here is so high that there’s no need for people to leave. We just need to make those investments and get things moving.”

“The quality of the talent we develop here is so high that there’s no need for people to leave.”

Reconnecting with UD has been part of that mission. Daniel now serves on UD’s College of Arts and Sciences Advisory Council, offering time and perspective to help shape programs for the next generation.

“Of course I contribute financially, but time is more precious than money,” he said. “I find it rewarding to give back in a way that helps shape the direction of the University, especially the computer science program.”

Looking back, Daniel said his sense of mission pervades both work and life.

“Growing up in a community that was so oriented toward people truly caring about one another and supporting them — I think that shaped a lot of the way I view the world,” he said. “UD reinforced that sense of mission and service.”

Now, after just stepping away from Etsy in September 2025, Daniel finds himself once again at the edge of something new. The exact shape of his next chapter is unknown, but he’s sure it will take place in Ohio and center around people.

“Part of what resonated with me besides family ties and the quality of my education is [UD’s] mission — that has always stuck with me,” said Daniel. “Just like that first week freshman year. It’s a little scary but mostly exciting … because, once again, anything can happen.”