Daymond John Inspires Economic Empowerment with Black Entrepreneurs Day

Daymond John has been a part of the talented tenth for most of his life. As a young Black boy growing up in Queens, NY the odds were stacked against him. Raised by a hard-working single mother that instilled pride and courage in her boy, Daymond’s self-confidence separated him the rest early on.   When asked what gave him an edge over his peers, he immediately references his mother. “Single mothers are the ultimate business model. They have an instinct that allows them to create and stretch a little bit to make it last a long time,” he explains. Daymond’s mother did more than just make ends meet for the home. She fed his youthful curiosity with assurance and drive. Daymond recalls watching planes and daydreaming about their final destination. He also would stare at the skyscrapers in the city wondering who worked there or lived in those grandiose buildings. Daymond’s mother encouraged him to dream as high as the tallest buildings and as far as the planes could fly. “My mother told me there was no reason I couldn’t own a building like that or be on one of those planes if I worked hard,” Daymond recalls. Armed with the confidence his mother instilled in him, Daymond avoided the pitfalls his notorious surroundings continuously threw his way. “Supreme team tried to recruit me when I was around 13 or 14 years old but I was focused on my own path. I wasn’t tempted by the allure of fast money. They told me I could make $50k a year, which was a lot for a kid in those days but I knew in 10 years most of those guys ended up in jail or even dead. If you take out the risk factor, it would make more sense to work a regular job. I was convinced I could sell clothes.” While his classmates were playing ball or hustling on the street, Daymond was focused on swatches of material and learning how to create certain looks with fabrics. He admits after a while, the other kids started thinking he and his crew were lame.  Daymond was undeterred by the opinion of others and pressed forward. Having the ability to persevere in the face of adversity is another one of Daymond’s secrets to success. His road from humble beginnings in the house with his mother to FUBU fame and multimillion dollar success is paved equally with setbacks and successes. Because he has never given up, the successes are what have define him although he is quick to share lessons learned a long the way with anyone he mentors. Helping his community realize their financial aspirations has become a leading part of  Daymond’s purpose. 

 Daymond was consulting the Kardashians and heading up several business ventures when he was approached to be a part of Shark Tank. He’d  given his word on promoting the show and didn’t see a possibility to do the show and honor his words to the infamous sisters. Realizing Daymond was about to pass up the opportunity of a lifetime, Khloe Kardashian released him from his contract with them. “Khloe told me she believed the world needed to hear from me and she didn’t want to stand in the way,” Daymond shares. With the Kardashians blessing, Daymond accepted the opportunity to be on one of the biggest platforms in the world on a weekly basis. 

NBC’s Shark Tank is equivalent to a weekly master class for anyone with entrepreneurial dreams. Daymond John and his fellow sharks understand the subtle formula that guarantees small business success. He has also been a mentor for Disney’s Dreamer’s Academy planting the same seeds in today’s young people as his mother planted in him years ago. Daymond realized his community needed financial revival during the violent and chaotic events of 2020. From watching the death of George Floyd, to mass layoffs due to the country shutting down, to the unanswered call for reparations, it was clear the wealth gap in the US disproportionately affected the Black community. Daymond decided to enlist the help of several corporate companies and created Black Entrepreneurs Day. BED is the ultimate celebration of Black business and entrepreneurship. Highlighted by insightful conversations with Black business icons.  Celebrated in November right before the Thanksgiving holiday, Black Entrepreneurs Day has raised over $1,000,000 in Black Business grants in partnership with the NAACP and has inspired millions of fans since its inception in 2020. 

2024 marks the 5th year of BED and Daymond made the executive decision to move the celebration to Atlanta, Ga. Armed with support from JM Morgan Chase, T mobile, Hilton for Business and Constant Contact, Daymond prepared to make the holiday even bigger for its 5th year. The guests for the 5th annual Black Entrepreneurs Day include Charlamagne tha God, Flavor Flav, Kelly Rowland, Rashad Bilal, Troy Millings, Jordan Chiles, and many more, plus a live musical performance from global superstar 2 Chainz presented by Raising Cane’s.  “I’ve been doing business in Atlanta since my early FUBU days. The city represents a Black Mecca thriving in business and entertainment.  I see it as progression to bring the celebration from New York at the Apollo theater to Atlanta, GA at the Fox Theater,” Daymond says 

Black Entrepreneurs Day has quickly become one of the most impactful purpose-driven events in the world. With Atlanta boasting more black small business owners per capita than any other state, it is the perfect backdrop for BED. 

Daymond hopes Atlanta business owners and those with entrepreneurial aspirations will network and find their own synergy for success. At a time when so many in the Black community are fearful of the future, Daymond hopes to inspire them to dream bigger and then chase those dreams by any means necessary— the way he did as a young boy growing up in Queens faced with what some would say were insurmountable odds. “People over think business so much. If you can find a problem and create a solution- you have a business. It doesn’t have to be something sexy or over the top. You see that liquor over there. Most people are focused on the liquor but in order to get the liquor someone had to create the bottle, the packaging.  There are solutions all around you. You just have to follow the money,” Daymond says. With Daymond’s assistance, more entrepreneurs can become a part of that talented tenth and the Black community can start to reverse the wealth gap small business by small business.