# Daniel Kraft

> Daniel Kraft is a Brooklyn-based Founding ClayDR at Clay whose early career connects collegiate golf, interdisciplinary scholarship, music and brand storytelling. A 2023 Wesleyan graduate and former men's golf captain, he received the university's selectively awarded Cardinal Award after taking on scheduling, travel planning and recruiting responsibilities alongside team leadership. He later spent nearly three years producing story-driven brand work at The Buddy Group before joining Clay in April 2026.

- **Role:** Founding ClayDR at Clay
- **Organizations:** Clay, The Buddy Group, Essex Property Trust, Wesleyan University
- **Education:** Honors graduate, College of Letters; minor in Economics, Wesleyan University, High school diploma, Saratoga High School
- **Known for:** Received Wesleyan's Cardinal Award in 2023 for extraordinary contribution and dedication to athletics; the award is not given every year., Served as captain of Wesleyan men's golf and assisted with scheduling, team travel and recruiting., Named to the 2023 NESCAC All-Sportsmanship Team for men's golf.

## Career timeline

- **2019** — Committed to Wesleyan University for Division III golf after a high-school season that included a school-record seven-under paired round.
- **2019-2023** — Played four seasons of men's golf at Wesleyan, becoming team captain as a senior.
- **2022** — Worked as a summer associate in marketing and revenue management at Essex Property Trust.
- **2023** — Graduated from Wesleyan with honors in the College of Letters and a minor in Economics; received honors for a 35-page senior essay.
- **2023** — Joined The Buddy Group as an associate producer focused on story-driven marketing.
- **2024-2026** — Advanced to producer in brand strategy at The Buddy Group.
- **2026** — Joined Clay as a ClayDR in New York.

## Achievements

- Received Wesleyan's Cardinal Award in 2023 for extraordinary contribution and dedication to athletics; the award is not given every year.
- Served as captain of Wesleyan men's golf and assisted with scheduling, team travel and recruiting.
- Named to the 2023 NESCAC All-Sportsmanship Team for men's golf.
- Earned two Scholar-Athlete honors and NESCAC All-Academic recognition.
- Received the Wesleyan Economics Department's John M. Plukas Teaching Apprentice Award in 2022.
- Completed six 1,800-word College of Letters comprehensive essays over three days.
- Graduated with honors in the College of Letters and earned honors for a 35-page senior essay.
- Composed and produced the score for a senior thesis film that received high honors.
- Performed with Loose Geese at Wesleyan's spring celebration, opening for professional music acts.
- As a high-school golfer, shared a school-record paired score of seven under for nine holes.

## Latest updates

- **2026-04** — Joined Clay in New York as a ClayDR after nearly three years at The Buddy Group.

## Links

- Website: https://clay.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielkraft01

---

Profile page: https://yespress.io/daniel-kraft
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-09-26