Daniel Tam-Claiborne is a multiracial writer, multimedia producer, and nonprofit director with a background in international development. He is the author of the short story collection What Never Leaves, and his writing has appeared in Catapult, Literary Hub, Off Assignment, The Rumpus, The Huffington Post, and elsewhere. A 2022 National Endowment for the Arts Literature Fellow, he has also received support from the U.S. Fulbright Program, Kundiman, Sewanee Writers’ Conference, the New York State Summer Writers Institute, and others. His debut novel-in-progress, Transplants, was a finalist for the 2023 PEN/Bellwether Prize for Socially Engaged Fiction. He serves on the Board of Directors of Seattle City of Literature and on the Advisory Board of Off Assignment.
A frequent speaker, moderator, and host, Daniel develops and executes public programming that examines urgent issues, promotes meaningful dialogue, and advances social justice. Daniel has been a producer for two public media initiatives at WNET, America’s flagship PBS station, including co-producing the digital documentary series be/longing: Asian Americans Now and Between Black and White: Asian Americans Speak Out. He has curated community programs, screenings, and other events in partnership with cultural spaces, universities, arts nonprofits, and advocacy organizations across the country.
Fluent in Mandarin Chinese, Daniel has spent over five years living and working in Greater China and is an outspoken advocate for Asian American issues and increased global understanding through education, cultural exchange, storytelling, and effective philanthropy. He serves as Executive Director at The Serica Initiative, a nonprofit organization that advocates for greater Asian American inclusion and advances positive social impact in U.S.-China relations. He has written and spoken about China for The China Project, Washington State China Relations Council, the 1990 Institute, the Penn Symposium on Contemporary China, and elsewhere. He serves on the Board of Oberlin Shansi and is a Member of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations.
A certified PMP, Daniel has over a decade of experience in strategic consulting and international development, as well as in designing, implementing, and evaluating programs for nonprofits. Daniel has worked with nonprofits, social enterprises, foundations, and corporations on projects aimed at reducing poverty, enhancing equity, and promoting sustainable development in emerging economies across Asia, Africa, and the Americas through data-driven and human-centered research and analysis. Past clients include Google, Facebook, UNICEF, the Wikimedia Foundation, Kiva, Frontier Markets, and the China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation, among others. He has received fellowships from the World Affairs Council and the Committee of 100.
Daniel holds degrees from Oberlin College, Yale University, and the MFA Program for Writers at Warren Wilson College. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he lives with his wife and daughter in Seattle.
