Danielle De La Fuente is the founder and CEO of Amal Alliance. She grew up in San Diego, California, as the child of immigrant, multi-religious parents. Growing up in that multicultural environment taught her the nuances of diversity from an early age. Her ability to foster relations with others from distinct backgrounds led to the start of her career at Embassies after graduating from Boston University. Later, she spent numerous years working to create dialogue and trust among nations through her work at the US Department of Defense. Danielle witnessed many senior officials’ viewpoints pivot as they came to grow a human connection with each other. Wanting to understand the dynamics of peacebuilding further, she returned to do her Masters in Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of St. Andrews. Her desire to help children became more fervent as conflict grew and more children were forced to flee. She decided to apply what she had seen across nations and introduce the fundamentals of peace through educational programs with young children.
“On the surface, it didn’t seem intrinsically connected, but peace is only achievable if individuals learn to communicate, to express themselves, and to take the perspective of others. I saw a clear correlation with strengthening children’s social and emotional skills as an effort to mitigate violence and hate by cultivating more empathetic societies,” says Danielle.
Below are highlights of the interview conducted between World’s Leaders and Danielle De La Fuente:
Describe who you are as a person, inside and outside of the workplace.
I’m a fun-loving, positive, caring, and mission-driven person both within the workplace and beyond. Most would describe me as being highly empathetic, authentic, and someone who can make friends easily. I believe one of my best attributes is the interest I take in others, which helps me attract and galvanize higher-caliber individuals. I also hold high expectations for myself and others, so I can be extremely determined, tenacious, and meticulous. Lastly, I love anything that shines and sparkles, which aligns very well with my outlook on life.
Tell us about the inception of the company. How did it all start?
In recent years, wars, conflict, and natural disasters have increased and forced tens of millions of children to flee their homes with or without their families. These traumatic events can have profound impacts on a child’s development, and perpetual toxic stress affects mental health, with potential long-term consequences for physical health and livelihood. I do not believe adverse experiences need to define your life path. I fervently believe children are not defined by their circumstances and can grow to be powerful agents of change and peace if given the right tools to succeed. Thus, Amal Alliance was born to help displaced children learn to navigate all of life’s challenges so they can grow to reach their full potential.
What has made you successful? What do you value?
There is the common misconception that success happens by luck or chance. There is an incredible amount of hard work, dedication, and resilience needed to be successful. I attribute a lot of my successes to having a clear vision and the tenacity needed to persevere. I also credit a lot of opportunities to the massive network I have built. It is through those relationships and connections that you can carve out your own destiny. Personally, I value loyalty, respect, communication, and treating all individuals with dignity. These values have propelled my ability to build stronger and more lasting foundations.
Which are the major services of the company and how do the company to get ahead in the competition? What value-added services does the company provide?
Amal Alliance’s mission is to empower displaced and disenfranchised children around the globe with four primary pillars of support. Those include: 1) social-emotional learning; 2) early childhood development; 3) psychosocial support; and 4) peacebuilding. Through our unique, innovative approach, we address the social and emotional needs and psychosocial support of children affected by emergencies. Our methodology is a value addition in and of itself. We break down complex concepts like empathy, emotional intelligence, self-regulation, communication, and social inclusion in a very practical mode of delivery. We utilize a podcast, accompanied by visual images, for teachers and caregivers to provide instruction. The trauma-informed pre-structured lessons allow almost anyone to facilitate a class and give quality content and access to those within refugee camps and remote areas.
What are the most important aspects of a company’s culture? What principles do you believe in and how do you build this culture?
Our company culture was built on the diversity of our executive board, advisory board members, partners, and the individuals we serve. We represent individuals from over 30 countries with different ethnicities, religious practices, gender identities, and sexual orientations. What unites us is our shared humanity and the desire to serve the most vulnerable children. You can see this inclusive and team-like approach and the values like honesty, integrity, compassion, and creativity reflected in all of our work.
What is the significance of innovative ideas in the company?
Innovation is the essence of growth. Without innovative ideas and creativity, you get stuck with dated and inflexible solutions. A company’s ability to innovate and iterate is what gives it a competitive advantage. Innovative ideas also serve as preventative measures for tackling problems and challenges that will inevitably arise along the way.
Give us your opinion on; do organizations rely heavily on individual heroics or team processes?
There is an African proverb that says if you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. While I do think, to a certain degree, organizations rely on individual heroic figures to steer the ship, I have seen many organization cultures shift towards more focused team efforts. While some individuals can undoubtedly inspire a team, true magic comes from brainstorming and complementing each other’s skill sets.
What are your responsibilities as the Founder/CEO/ Managing Director of the company? What is the happiest part of your daily routine?
As the founder and CEO of Amal Alliance, I oversee all the organization’s strategic direction, major corporate decisions, all overall operations, and the continuous engagement of the board, stakeholders, partners, and beneficiaries. I thrive on human interaction, so I find that the happiest part of my routine is fostering relationships with colleagues, donors, and the children we serve.
What advice would you give someone going into a leadership position for the first time?
Lead by example and with integrity. Leadership is not a destination but a continuous journey. Be flexible, adaptable, and always open to learning new things. Dedicate time to nurturing positive relationships with your team. The support and empathy you demonstrate will build stronger bonds and reflect on your collective efforts. There will be lots of bumps and failures along the way; embrace the failures and learn from them. Lastly, celebrate your successes. Recognize and reward your achievements, and those of all of the people involved, to get to where you are.
