Jamal Daniel is the founder of Crest Investment Company. An entrepreneur and innovator, Mr. Daniel has over 35 years of experience managing a diverse portfolio of investments in media and entertainment, technology, hospitality, real estate, and energy sectors.
Mr. Daniel is the founder of New Levant Initiative (NLI) which aims to promote peace and prosperity through economic integration and culture discourse among the people and countries of the Levant. In 2018, the NLI hosted a day-long conference at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, to discuss the distinct Levantine culture that exists today and has existed throughout history.
Founded by Mr. Daniel in 2012 and wholly owned by Crest Media, Al-Monitor features unmatched reporting and analysis by prominent journalists and experts from the Middle East. Published in Washington, DC, Al-Monitor’s mission is to foster a deeper understanding between the Middle East and the international community. Just two years after its launch, the International Press Institute honored Al-Monitor with its Free Media Pioneer Award – an award given annually to an organization that distinguishes itself in the fight for free and independent news.
In 2009, Mr. Daniel launched Levantine Films which is focused on developing and producing compelling, character-driven stories that entertain, spark conversation and bring awareness to underrepresented segments of society. Notable films include Best Picture nominee Hidden Figures and Jerry & Marge Go Large.
In 1999, Mr. Daniel founded The Levant Foundation, a private, non-profit organization committed to the furthering of knowledge of Levantine culture and history, as well as the relationships among the three monotheistic religions. The foundation supports many academic, cultural and humanitarian programs including an endowment at The Dodd Center for Human Rights at the University of Connecticut, UNICEF, a major expansion at the American University of Beirut Medical Center, the rebuilding of St. George Hospital in Beirut, endowed scholarships at Georgetown University, academic programs at Rice University, research at MD Anderson Cancer Center, as well as an endowment at the University of Texas Press.
Mr. Daniel was born in Syria, and moved to Lebanon when he was five years old. After completing his high school education in a Jesuit school in Lebanon, Mr. Daniel and his family moved to Geneva, Switzerland where he attended the University of Geneva. Mr. Daniel has a degree in business from Pepperdine University and a masters of business administration from the University of Texas at Austin.