Dan Whalen

Managing Director, Bedrock

Education: MBA; bachelor’s degree in English, Case Western Reserve University

What Success Looks Like to Me: Seeing constant and consistent measurable improvement in whatever it is one sets out to accomplish. The best goals are never fully achievable, so the mission becomes hitting milestones and raising the bar so that it’s always slightly out of reach.

What I Look for in a Leader: Adaptability, accountability, honesty, directness, self-awareness, selflessness and resourcefulness

Favorite Quote: “If you’re worried about the cost of going for it, you should see the price of staying exactly where you are.”

What Motivates Me Right Now: Building a team that can reshape Cleveland’s trajectory for generations — leveraging both the platform and long-term commitment behind Dan Gilbert’s vision, while getting to have our fingerprints on what it all eventually becomes.

An Important Lesson I Learned: When the door of opportunity is cracked open, you’ve got to be the one to kick the door in. Great opportunities don’t come around often, and I’ve passed up a few that I wish I hadn’t.