Danielle “Dani” Gray was born and raised in Hawaiʻi, and her roots in community, family, and aloha spirit have shaped everything about the way she shows up for justice. A mother of two — Kalani and Aaliyah — and wife to Marlon Gray since 2007, Dani’s commitment to ending incarceration is deeply personal, driven by her family’s direct experience with the carceral system.

Bringing over 20 years of HR and operational leadership alongside personal experience with the carceral system, Dani is a 2023 graduate of the Institute of Impacted Leaders. She serves as Executive Director of The Change Parallel Project, chairs the Sisterhood Strategy Team at Essie Justice Group, and remains highly active in statewide advocacy coalitions.

Dani is based in the Anaheim, California area and is honored to return to IJ as a co-facilitator for the Coachella Valley Cohort of the Institute of Impacted Leaders Summer 2026.