By John Dalusong
when he was just starting his journey. Photo by John Dalusong
Daniyal Shaikh oozes with authority and confidence as he leans back in his black leather swiveling chair.
“People tell me I’m the most confident person they’ve ever met,” he said.
He gestures with his hands as he talks – as if trying to paint his words.
He likes to call himself Dan. It’s his way of distinguishing himself from the thousands of others who share his name.
The way he stands, smiles, or speaks suggests a man who has mastered the art of commanding attention.
Yet, he says he’s not the confident person people imagine him to be.
“Really, I’m just brave,” he explained. “I just show up and be as brave as I can.”
Shaikh is a publicist from Cambridge who co-founded Speaker Slam, an inspirational speaking competition that gives participants a platform to tell their story, build their confidence, and become leaders themselves. He helps people unlock their full potential.
Yet, Shaikh didn’t always have this voice.
Shaikh’s family moved from Pakistan to the United States when he was five. To provide for his family, his father had to take odd jobs, including working as a dishwasher and a cab driver.
Unfortunately, none of the jobs were good enough to afford a decent life; the family had to move back to Pakistan.
“But then while we were in Pakistan, we got the lottery to come to Canada,” Shaikh said.
Once again, the family was on the move. They got another shot at a better life in a different country.
Like the first time, the transition wasn’t easy for the young Shaikh.
Shaikh still barely spoke any English.
seen as dumb. Photo submitted by Daniyal Shaikh
“It was a lot of catching up because I just didn’t have the social skills that someone at that age would develop. I was homeschooled a lot,” he said. “I was kind of a mute. It was difficult to talk because I don’t want to come across as dumb.”
And so, Shaikh’s early adulthood passed unremarkably. Coming from a blue-collar immigrant family, he was expected to be the first office worker.
He got a degree in business technology. He then landed a decent co-op job at world-renowned tech company IBM.
He was 19. He had moved to Ottawa for work, and it gave him time to reflect.
Life felt stagnant.
But that all changed when Shaikh came across a thread on Reddit about regret, where people wrote about things they wish they did when they were younger.
“I read about all these people who lived quiet lives or chased money. That really struck me because I was on that path,” he said. “I felt behind in life.”
Fearing he might end up with a regretful life himself, Shaikh set out on a personal mission. He didn’t want to wait to fulfill his bucket list of things to do before 30, and so he started ticking them off at the age of 19.
“My brother came up to me and was like, hey, do you want to go skydiving?” Shaikh said.
He was “deadly scared of heights,” but said yes anyway.
“I just took a leap of faith,” he said. “The guy that was afraid of roller coasters just stayed calm and did it.”
And that was Shaikh’s eureka moment.
“I was like if I can do this at 19, what would my life look like if I did everything that I could by 25?” he said, impassioned and on the edge of his seat.
It sparked a rapid burst of impulsive bucket list pursuits.
He went bungee jumping.
He went white water rafting.
He even did stand-up comedy.
Shaikh did all these things before 25; he was becoming a different man.
received throughout the years. Photo by John Dalusong
And slowly but surely, he found his confidence.
He networked relentlessly. He worked hard with his business partner to bring Speaker Slam to what it is today, despite all the naysayers.
Now, in his 30s, Shaikh is a leader.
His work at Speaker Slam earned him a spot in the Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Awards for 2025. It’s a recognition awarded by the Canadian Immigrant Magazine to immigrants who have made remarkable contributions to the Canadian society.
Yet for all that he has accomplished, Shaikh’s sights remain trained on his original goal – to be a role model for people wanting to do more with their lives.
His girlfriend, Lauren Pires, is proud of him exactly for that reason.
“I admire that about him,” she said. “I think that inspires other people to realize that they can also take action in their own lives, move forward with things that they want to do that they may find scary or difficult.”
Pires was one of the many people whose lives were touched and changed by what Shaikh does. She was diagnosed with a rare neuromuscular disorder in her early 20s, and she spent a large part of her life trying to hide it.
“I spoke publicly about my disability for the very first time in a virtual Speaker Slam competition,” she said. “[Dan] is a big reason that I started talking about my disability in general.”
Pires works as an invisible disability speaker, helping those in similar shoes find resilience and confidence in themselves. She’s living proof that what Shaikh does matters.
receiving the recognition was a simple ‘good job.’ Photo by John Dalusong
When it’s all said and done, Shaikh says he doesn’t want his legacy to be about riches and fame.
“I can’t take money with me,” he said.
Instead, he wants to be remembered for the indelible mark he left on his community. That is, helping generations find their voice – just as he found his.
“I just want to look around and see all the people in communities that have been impacted by what I do,” he said.
“I want people to remember me as someone who was like a guide. They still did the work. I just helped create a path that allowed people to find their purpose.”
