Dan Kearns

Following the tragic death of their son Alex, Dan and his wife Dorothy established the Alex Kearns Memorial Fund. Its primary goals are to combat the stigmas associated with mental health and suicide, and to promote financial literacy—a major contributing factor in Alex’s death. The Fund’s mission led Dan to connect with Optimist’s co-founders, resulting in a partnership where he contributed to Q&A panels following screenings of This Is Not Financial Advice for college students.

Dan firmly believes that mental health treatment shouldn’t be taboo, emphasizing that negative stereotypes, discriminatory behaviors, and systemic barriers prevent those experiencing mental health challenges from seeking the vital care they need. He stresses that depression is treatable, and that learning the warning signs and developing effective life skills and coping mechanisms can save lives, making suicide preventable.A lifelong resident of the Chicagoland area, Dan has worked as an IT professional in various capacities, and currently serves as a risk manager for a Fortune 500 financial services company.

Dan enjoys hiking with his daughter, visiting national and state parks, traveling and new experiences with his wife, and playing guitar with his garage-band friends.