Digvijay “Danny” Gaekwad was born in Baroda, a former princely state in western India as the son of a Judge and grandson of a Colonel in the Indian Army, Danny graduated in Political Science from the prestigious Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda. He arrived in the United States with his wife Manisha in 1987 to live the American Dream. Three decades later, he is recognized as a visionary, passionate leader and formidable change agent.
He is a first-generation American “renaissance entrepreneur” and community leader based in Ocala, FL. He is the Founder-CEO of NDS USA, an IT & Cloud Services company, and the Founder of Danny G Management, which owns and operates various restaurants and hotels. He also owns DG Hospitality, a hotel and restaurant management consulting company, and Danny Gaekwad Development & Investments, which oversees his real estate investments.
In a business career spanning nearly three decades, Danny has built over a dozen small-and medium-sized companies in diverse areas that include convenience stores, real estate development, hospitality, and information technology. Over the years, his companies have created thousands of jobs in Florida and other parts of the United States, contributing hundreds of millions of dollars to the economy. in 2016, Danny was recognized by then Florida Governor Rick Scott with the “One Million Jobs” certificate of appreciation for his contribution “in helping Florida job creators add 1 million jobs between December 2010 and December 2015.”
In the past three decades, Danny has served in a variety of public, private and non profit leadership roles including:
Trustee, University of Central Florida Board of Trustees
Executive Board Member, Enterprise Florida Board of Directors
Executive Board Member, VISIT FLORIDA
Governor, Florida Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors
Chairman, Marion County Visitor and Convention Bureau
Chairman, Marion County Tourism Development Council
Vice Chairman, Marion County Planning and Zoning Commissioner
Florida Governor-elect’s Transition Advisory Committee on the Economy
National Government Affairs Committee Member, AAHOA
Danny has been recognized at the local, state and national levels on numerous occasions for his accomplishments in business and community service including:
Asian American Hotel Owners Association Chairman’s Award. (the largest trade group of hotel owners in the world)
Lion of the Year Award
Leaders Leader Award, Marion County
Community Service Award, Federation of Indian Seniors Association of North America
Pride of India Award
Glorious India Chairman’s Award
Lifetime Achievement Award, Bharat Gaurav
Ocala person of the Year
Gubernatorial Appointment – Term expires 01/06/2028