Dan Ellison on Mentor
• – • 21c Museum Hotel
About the speaker
Daniel Ellison wears multiple hats at the intersections of arts (all forms), law, teaching, entrepreneurship, civil rights advocacy – bringing to all of it his advocacy for disability rights and inclusion. He received the 2024 Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts LEAD (Leadership Exchange in Arts and Disability) Community Asset Award. As an attorney in private practice in Durham, NC., concentrating in arts law, he has been a leader in the arts in Durham and throughout North Carolina. He has been working with individual artists, performing arts organizations, playwrights, actors, arts entrepreneurs, and non-profit arts organizations for over twenty-five years. His focus now is on arts accessibility. He is a frequent speaker and writer on a variety of arts law issues. He taught courses at Duke University for over 15 years: “Legal Issues for the Performing Arts,” “Creating Arts Acccess for People with Disabilities,” and “Introduction to Non-profit Arts & Cultural Institutions.” Through that course he developed the Durham Audio Described Art Project. He has also taught “Legal Aspects of Art & Entertainment” in the Elon University arts administration program and a similar course in the Masters Program in Design & Production at the UNC School of the Arts. For ten years he wrote a legal issues column for the Southeastern Theatre Conference bi-monthly newsletter and has been a presenter at their convention for each of the past 16 years. His column, “Ask the Arts Lawyer,” appeared in each issue of ArtSee Magazine. He has served on a number of arts organization boards, including the Durham Arts Council (past President,) the North Carolina Central University Art Museum (Chair,) the and the Gregg Museum of Art and Design (at NCSU). He was a city appointed former member and Chair of the Durham Cultural Advisory Board, and has served on the City’s Historic Preservation Commission (Chair.) He has been a strong advocate for accessibility, in all of those positions. He is past president and executive director of the NC Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts and former chair of the NC Bar Association’s Arts Law Committee. He was the Executive Director of a historic house museum in Raleigh, NC – The Mordecai House. He developed Durham Arts Place, providing affordable artist studio spaces in Downtown Durham since 1996. He is a 2007 recipient of an Indie Arts Award and has received the Durham Jaycees Community Leadership in the Arts Award. He is in the early stages of developing an outdoor drama for Durham, NC.
Local partners
Our friends at Brand Fuel are a brand merchandise agency with a B Corp certification. They have invested 26 years in our community, creating branded gear worth remembering and are committed to sustainability, trust, originality – and a lot of fun. Trust us, you want them at your party ;)
Mariko Gordon, CFA, CFP® is a finance maverick who founded a $2.5 billion money management firm from scratch. From money management to business mentoring, she offers personalized financial planning and business and investment advice at her registered investment advisory firm, Uzume, LLC.
MRC is a full spectrum graphic design studio with a focus on hand-crafted, out-of-the-box brand experiences for clients passionate about their business. They build iconic brands for kindred spirits.
Oak City Studio is the Official Audio Partner of CreativeMornings RDU!
CreativeMornings/Raleigh is fiscally sponsored by VAE Raleigh, a 501©3 nonprofit. VAE envisions a more equitable creative community where everyone has the resources needed to thrive. VAE produces, funds, and exhibits socially-engaged art through community collaboration.
From the arts to food to nonprofits, WALTER tells the stories of our community. WALTER is available on racks around Raleigh, online at waltermagazine.com or by subscription.
Raleigh.com was made by Raleigh locals, for Raleigh locals. Join 10,000+ enthusiastic subscribers. Every morning, you’ll receive a 2-minute email about top events and deals in Raleigh… including CreativeMornings events!
The Dash Bash is a two-day motion design festival, with an optional third day of workshops, filled with speakers, hangouts, and parties from June 11th through 13th, 2025 right here in Raleigh. It’s an event for designers, by designers, that celebrates creativity, community, and inclusivity in the Motion Design industry. Whether you’re a seasoned creative, or just getting started, this event prioritizes networking, connections, and real-world stories that celebrates community and creativity.
Use the discount code GOLOCAL25 to get 25% off your tickets!
Slingshot Coffee Co. believes everyone should have better, more exciting coffee experiences. From their organic, flavor-packed Cold Brews and Nitro Flash Brew, to their wonderfully bubbly Coffee Sodas, it’s like drinking vacation no matter what Slingshot is in your hand. They are independent, female-founded, and have been quality-driven since 2012.
Needs & Wants Sparkling Superfruit Teas are a product of Slingshot Coffee Co. Their sparkling, 100% plant-based teas combine one of nature’s oldest superfruits with real fruit juice and natural botanicals to support daily immunity, stress relief and digestive health – all in one rejuvenating sip.
Counter Culture Coffee is dedicated to finding and bringing to market the most exciting and delicious coffees in the world. We approach our work with a passion for the ideal of coffee perfection, a dedication to real sustainability, and a commitment to cutting-edge education throughout the coffee chain.
Lutra is a cafe and bakery coming to Durham in 2024. They’re a sticky bun and cinnamon roll-focused bakery. At their heart, they aim to make craveable food that’ll put a smile on your face. As they look for a permanent home in Durham they’ll be having regular pop-ups around the Triangle. You can find Lutra weekly popping up on Friday mornings at the Hillsborough Street location of Cocoa Cinnamon (preorders through lutrabakery.com) and Sunday mornings at The Queeny’s Window (walkups!).
Additional details
Our global theme for June is Mentor.
No one is born with all the knowledge and skills they’ll need to thrive in life. That’s why kids go to school. But we shouldn’t stop learning once we graduate. We need to find new teachers.
A mentor doesn’t have to be an expert or the top of their field. Just someone who’s been there and done that before. Someone to show you the way and offer a bit of advice and encouragement. Ideally, they’re willing to make introductions and mention your name when you’re not in the room.
Being a mentor is considered a way of giving back. But mentors get just as much out of the relationship, if not more. Beyond the satisfaction of helping, mentors also learn from their mentees. From a fresh way of looking at established practices to tackling new problems with a beginner’s mind.
So, ask for help. We all could use a guide as we climb. Find your mentors and be a mentor in return. Your plans for growth are more likely to succeed if they include lifting others up as you rise.
This month’s theme was chosen by our Glasgow chapter chapter in Scotland and illustrated by Molly Hankinson.
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