An investment manager with well over 30 years of experience in a range of market sectors, Jamal Daniel serves as president and chairman of Crest Investment Company. Jamal Daniel is also the founder and chairman of the nonprofit organization Levant Foundation.

Based in Houston, Texas, the Levant Foundation focuses on furthering understanding the Levant and the three major Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) that originated there. The name “Levant” comes from the French word for “to rise,” referring to the rise of the sun in the east.

The Levant is a historical region that occupied eastern Mediterranean areas that now encompass Syria, Lebanon, Israel, and Jordan. The incredible culture of the Levant has always been influenced by its geographical position at the crossroads of many distinct human populations. A key trade region, the Levant has also historically been a powerful economic force throughout the Mediterranean and the Middle East. In the aftermath of World War I, France gave the name “Levant States” to Syria and Lebanon, and some people still apply the name to these two countries.