# Daniel Faggella

> Daniel Faggella is the Austin-based founder of Emerj Artificial Intelligence Research and host of The Trajectory. A Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt and University of Pennsylvania graduate, he sold Science of Skill in 2017 to help fund his AI work. His public projects connect enterprise AI research with questions about AGI governance and the future of intelligence.

- **Role:** Founder and Strategic Advisor at Emerj Artificial Intelligence Research; host of The Trajectory
- **Organizations:** Emerj Artificial Intelligence Research (formerly TechEmergence), Science of Skill (former founder and owner), The Trajectory, The Trajectory Forum, OECD Expert Group on AI Futures
- **Education:** Master of Applied Positive Psychology; research focused on skill development and acquisition, University of Pennsylvania
- **Known for:** Founded Emerj Artificial Intelligence Research and developed its enterprise AI research and interview work., Sold Science of Skill for seven figures in 2017., Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt and 2011 Pan No-Gi division gold medalist.

## Career timeline

- **2011** — Won Pan No-Gi gold in the brown-belt, adult, male, light-feather division.
- **2012** — Dates his commitment to an AI-focused professional mission to late 2012; early TechEmergence work began during this period.
- **2013** — Started Science of Skill; sold his martial arts academy to an inside partner, according to SCORE.
- **2017-02** — Sold Science of Skill in a seven-figure transaction and used the proceeds to help fund his AI venture.
- **2018-09** — Announced TechEmergence’s rebrand as Emerj Artificial Intelligence Research on September 28.
- **2022-03** — Published an OECD.AI article on putting AI frameworks into action in financial services.
- **2023-11** — Published A Worthy Successor - The Purpose of AGI on November 24.
- **2024-03** — Announced The Trajectory video channel, podcast and newsletter on March 11.
- **2025-05** — Published Stewarding the Flame - How to Build an Ideal Future for Intelligence; subsequently updated in June 2026.
- **2026-10** — Continued The Trajectory’s Stewarding the Flame interview series, including N. Katherine Hayles and Eric Smith.

## Achievements

- Founded Emerj Artificial Intelligence Research and developed its enterprise AI research and interview work.
- Sold Science of Skill for seven figures in 2017.
- Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt and 2011 Pan No-Gi division gold medalist.
- Listed by OECD.AI as a member of its Expert Group on AI Futures.
- Public speaking engagements have included the United Nations, World Bank and INTERPOL.
- Created The Trajectory to examine AGI incentives, governance and posthuman futures.

## Latest updates

- **2026-10** — His site lists an October 23 interview with Eric Smith, AI May be a Prosthetic for the Living Process, as episode nine of Stewarding the Flame.
- **2026-10** — Published the N. Katherine Hayles interview AI as Our Inextricable Symbiont on October 9.
- **2026-10** — Published Epistemic Horizons and Tents of the Night on October 7.
- **2026-09** — Appeared on Beyond A Million in an episode released September 10 about his enterprise AI network and business model.

## Links

- Website: https://danfaggella.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danfaggella
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/danfaggella
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@trajectoryai
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/danfaggella

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/daniel-faggella
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-23