• News

by Iman Milner

March 30, 2023

Get Paid, Young Man: Bronny James Has An Estimated $7.2 Million in NIL Deals

---

Bronny James won’t be needing an allowance from his superstar father, LeBron James, any time soon.

The eldest child of the James family, and one of the most sought after high school players in the country, Bronny has already started earning millions in NIL (Name, Image and Likeness) deals, according to On3’s NIL 100 Rankings. To date, the McDonald’s All-American has raked in $7.2 million from brands like Nike – a deal he signed at the same age as his record-breaking father – Beats by Dre, and PSD Underwear.

For many athletes, NIL deals are life-changing and were greatly fought for. Players of the past made collegiate sports a billion-dollar business while receiving no compensation for their contributions. In fact, players were penalized retroactively for accepting gifts during their tenures at top institutions; most namely Reggie Bush, who had his Heisman Trophy vacated for “allegedly receiving impermissible benefits from a marketing agency,” according to Sports Illustrated. During Bush’s championship-winning years at USC, the school profited from his likeness and his name, selling official merchandise featuring the quarterback.

Though there has been much discourse around NIL deals and the effect it can have on how high school and college players approach the game; for now, players like Bronny, Iowa’s Caitlin Clark, Sierra Canyon High School’s JuJu Watkins, Texas’ Arch Manning, and Northwestern State University’s Hansel Emmanuel are bringing in the big bucks. However, James stands out amongst his peers as he remains one of the only top prospects who has yet to commit to a school at the next level. With offers from Memphis, Ohio State University, and University of Southern California, as well as an interest in Oregon, the sports world is waiting with bated breath to see where the heir to the LeBron James throne will end up.

All roads, hopefully, lead to the dynamic father and son duo suiting up for the same team in the NBA.

• News

by Sidnee Michelle Douyon

March 30, 2023

Kamala Harris Announces Tanzania Trade Boost During Africa Tour

---

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris announced plans to boost trade with and investment in Tanzania during a visit there on Thursday, part of an African tour aimed at strengthening ties with a continent where China and Russia increasingly hold sway.

Harris started her trip on Sunday in Ghana before flying late on Wednesday to Tanzania’s commercial capital Dar es Salaam, where she met President Samia Suluhu Hassan on Thursday.

The two women gave short statements to the media before going into a longer session of private talks.

“Working together, it is our shared goal to increase economic investment in Tanzania and strengthen our economic ties,” Harris said, listing a number of initiatives.

They included a new memorandum of understanding between the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) and the government of Tanzania.

That will facilitate up to $500 million in financing to help U.S. companies export goods and services to Tanzania in sectors including infrastructure, transportation, digital technology, climate and energy security and power generation.

Harris also mentioned a new partnership in 5G technology and cybersecurity, as well as a U.S.-supported plan by LifeZone Metals to open a new processing plant in Tanzania for minerals that go into electric vehicle batteries.

“This project is an important and pioneering model, using innovative and low-emission standards. Importantly, raw minerals will soon be processed in Tanzania, by Tanzanians,” she said, adding that the plant would deliver battery-grade nickel to the United States and the global market from 2026.

China has invested heavily in Africa in the last two decades, and last November the Tanzanian president met China’s President Xi Jinping during a state visit to Beijing.

Trade and investment featured heavily on their agenda, with the leaders agreeing to “elevate two-way trade and further expand the trade volume” and China saying it would explore providing market access to more Tanzanian goods.

POLITICAL RIGHTS

On Thursday, President Hassan said her “most important request” was to improve the visa process between the U.S. and Tanzania, as both countries would benefit from a “long duration visa” that would increase trade and tourism.

Under Hassan, Tanzania has returned to international engagement after a period of isolationism enforced by her predecessor John Magufuli, who cancelled all his ministers’ foreign trips and discouraged travel.

She has won praise internationally for restoring political rights suspended by Magufuli, who died in office in 2021.

“Madam President, under your leadership Tanzania has taken important and meaningful steps and President Joe Biden and I applaud you,” Harris said, standing alongside Hassan.

Magufuli had banned political rallies by anyone other than elected officials, cracked down on Tanzania’s LGBT community and arrested scores of opposition supporters. He had also rejected COVID-19 vaccines and urged Tanzanians to put faith in prayer and treatments such as steam inhalation.

Hassan reversed the policies upon coming to power and earlier this month, Tanzania passed the milestone of fully vaccinating 50% of its population against the coronavirus.

But human groups say violations continue, including government targeting of online media outlets. Hassan’s education minister also banned a series of children’s books from schools last month for allegedly promoting homosexuality.

Harris, the latest of several high-profile figures from the U.S. administration to visit African countries in recent months, is due to stay in Tanzania until Friday, when she will depart for Zambia, the final stop on her tour.

• Women

by Derek Major

March 30, 2023

Julieanna Richardson Is Preserving The Black Experience With The HistoryMakers

---

Julieanna Richardson, the founder and president of the HistoryMakers, a non-profit research and educational institution, is keeping Black history alive.

“We’re the largest attempt to record the Black experience across all disciplines whether it be law, business, sports, entertainment, science, and music,” Richardson told BLACK ENTERPRISE.

Richardson founded the HistoryMakers in 2000 to address the significant lack of documentation and preservation of the history of African-Americans. The collection is the leading digital repository for the Black experience.

The HistoryMakers’ digital library and oral history interview collection contain numerous profiles and interviews from the nation’s most prominent Black people, including poets Sonia Sanchez and Nikki Giovanni; actor James Avery; activist Angela Davis; singer Dionne Warwick; attorneys Anita Hill and Sherrilyn Ifill; U.S. Congresswoman Maxine Waters; Major League Baseball hall-of-fame outfielder Hank Aaron and many more.

Richardson said she started the HistoryMakers in part because of the lack of Black history she experienced growing up.

“I grew up in a primarily White town and didn’t get a chance to study about Black people,” said Richardson. “Back then you only studied about Black people if you came out of an HBCU. I didn’t know a lot myself and I was talking to people who had interesting family histories and stories that you wouldn’t hear about and that’s what started me doing this. I wanted to change the paradigm of African-American achievement.”

The HistoryMakers is headquartered in Chicago, with regional offices in Atlanta and the Washington, D.C. area. Richardson, who sports a unique background in theater, television production, and the cable television industry told BE that the HistoryMakers is paramount to preserving the accomplishments and achievements made by African-Americans.

“It’s really important because we’re on the verge of losing the 20th century in terms of documentation. If you go into our nation’s libraries, museums, and archives they don’t have Black people in them for the most part,” Richardson told BE. “That’s repeated over and over again and it’s really important because it goes to the issue of you preserve what has value and throw away what doesn’t and if we throw away our photographs, speeches, letters, and the things that we’ve done we can’t get them back.”

According to Richardson, the HistoryMakers has raised more than $36 million during its 23-year existence and is now in the process of digitizing its collection and is the digital repository for Essence Magazine, digitizing its archives and making them accessible worldwide.

The non-profit also uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to help in the process of digitizing its collection. Additionally, the HistoryMakers collection was acquired by the Library of Congress in 2014 and its digital archive can be accessed worldwide. The HistoryMakers collection is also available in almost 200 colleges and universities to educate those inside and outside the Black community.

“I feel that we’re just about to realize our mission and all the ethics and the time,” said Richardson. “All the struggle will all be worth it if we’re successful and I have full intention of being successful in this,” said Richardson. “There’s all this talk about diversity and inclusion right now but how do you diversify when you don’t have the content to do it?”

• Business

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

March 30, 2023

Lobos 1707 Tequila & Mezcal Offers Look Into Its Heritage And Diverse Leadership

---

A weekend of 5-star arrangements in sunny Los Angeles….don’t mind if I do! BLACK ENTERPRISE was invited to Hollywood to join the Lobos 1707 Tequila & Mezcal wolf pack on its first-ever branded press trip.

With accommodations at the lavish L’Ermitage Beverly Hills, guests entered luxury suites that were decked out with Lobos 1707 amenities. A welcome cocktail ahead of a four-course candlelit dinner and cocktail tasting at the hotel’s L’Restaurant started the weekend.

One look at Lobos’ Instagram page shows how well-connected the independent spirits producer is with the Hollywood elite. With names like LeBron James, Drake, and Draymond Green as loyal members of its “Wolf Pack,” Lobos 1707 stays true to its “culture forward” business model.

Inspired by his ancestor of the same name, founder and chief creative officer Diego Osorio launched Lobos 1707 in 2020 with CEO and brand-builder Dia Simms and James, the basketball icon.

Osorio and Simms were front and center for the specially curated experience that included dinners at Tatel Beverly Hills and Beauty and Essex, brunch at the renowned Waldorf Astoria, and VIP accommodations at Crypto.com Arena where LeBron returned to the Lakers after missing 13 games due to an injury.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Lobos 1707 Tequila (@lobos1707)

Named after the Spanish word for “wolves,” guests also enjoyed time with rescued wolves at the Wolf Connection sanctuary in Palmdale, California, with which Lobos 1707 is partnered. After learning about the sanctuary and the inspiring stories of the rescued wolves, Osorio guided guests through an immersive tasting experience of the Lobos 1707 liquids, including a breakdown of the rich history of the brand, and the creation of each liquid.

It was no question when it came to launching Lobos with Simms. Osorio takes pride in securing the “perfect person for the job,” as he told BLACK ENTERPRISE. Her extensive spirits background includes serving as President of Combs Wine & Spirits and overseeing the strategic execution of all Cîroc Ultra Premium Vodka and DeLeón Tequila.

But when it came to joining the Lobos team, Simms’ big move had nothing to do with the fact an NBA champion was already an early investor.

“We’re thrilled to have all of our celebrity backing, but the star of our brand is the liquid in our tequila,” she tells BLACK ENTERPRISE.

Simms’ leadership at a company competing in a male-dominated industry is just a small highlight of all the Lobos women leading their wolf pack. With executive leadership that boasts over 50% of women and slightly over 50% of women within the company as a whole, Lobos 1707 is setting new standards in the spirits industry.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Lobos 1707 Tequila (@lobos1707)

Boasting a diverse company made up primarily of women and people of color, Lobos has become a leader in its “culture forward” approach to the booze business. And with Simms at the forefront, she remains focused on the brand’s mission to “build a bigger table” by bringing in more diverse professionals and building deeper connections with consumers.

“You have to be intentional about giving options to those who have less options,” she says.

When it comes to women leading the pack, Simms wants to remind women, especially Black women, about what’s on the other side of being fearless.

“Don’t be scared to be audacious because you’re standing on quite the foundation,” she says. “We make amazing look so easy that we even take it for granted ourselves.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Lobos 1707 Tequila (@lobos1707)

The results speak for themselves. In just three years of business, Lobos 1707 has won the Best Reposado Tequila award at the 2022 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, was recognized as a finalist and a top 100 spirit at the 2022 Ultimate Spirits Challenge, received a double gold medal at the 2022 SIP Awards, and gold medals at the 2022 iterations of the New York International Spirits Competition and Tequila & Mezcal Masters.

Cheers to the Pack!

• News

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

March 30, 2023

More Than $500,000 Raised for Family of School Custodian Mike Hill Who Was Killed in Nashville Shooting

---

An outpouring of love and support has helped generate over half a million dollars for the family of a mass shooting victim.

Following this week’s mass shooting at the Covenant School in Nashville, TN, parents in the community started a GoFundMe to help the family of custodian Mike Hill, who was killed by a shooter at the school earlier this week. The goal was to raise $25,000; at the time of this writing, more than $523,000 has been raised.

“Thank you for visiting the fundraising page for Mike Hill, one of six victims of the Covenant School shooting which saw three students and three staff killed for zero reason. First and foremost, Mike’s family is aware of this fundraising effort and has been beyond moved by the outpouring of love. In the wake of this tragedy, they ask for continued prayers and strength and thank the Nashville community and beyond for their thoughts, prayers and donations.

“The goal of this GoFundMe is to raise money for Covenant School shooting victim, school custodian Mike Hill. Mike, thank you for protecting Nashville’s children. While every single loss in a shooting like this is an inexcusable tragedy, Mike is one who should not be overlooked in the wake of this senseless loss.”

Hill was killed a female shooter who killed three children and three adults at the private Christian school on Monday. Police officers shot and killed her at the scene.

Three students were pronounced dead after they arrived at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt with gunshot wounds, according to a hospital spokesperson, John Howser. Two other adult staff members, along with Hill, were killed by the shooter, police said.

The Covenant School, which was founded in 2001, is a ministry of Covenant Presbyterian Church in the Green Hills neighborhood of Nashville with about 200 students, according to the school’s website.

The two lead members of the hip-hop band The Roots are being sued for allegedly defrauding a former deceased group member’s widow.

According to The Philly Voice, Ahmir Thompson, better known as Questlove, and Tariq Trotter, also known as Black Thought, along with The Roots manager, Shawn Gee and an employee of the hip-hop group, Munir Nuriddin, are being sued by the estate of former bassist Leonard Hubbard and his widow, Stephanie Hubbard.

In the lawsuit, the defendants are accused of violating federal RICO laws by plotting to deny Hubbard his earnings from the band for the past 10 years. Also included in the suit are Live Nation Entertainment, The Roots on Tour, and several other associated entities that take care of The Roots’ business dealings.

Hubbard left the group back in 2007 after he was diagnosed with blood cancer. He died in 2021.

According to the legal paperwork filed, Hubbard and another founding member of The Roots, Malik B., were both given a 17% stake in Grand Negaz, Inc., a corporate entity that they used to purchase its trademark and finance business ventures, back when the group started in 1993. Hubbard had a 25% stake in a company that handled the band’s recordings and publishing, and he also had a 33% stake in its touring performance company.

In 2013, Gee, Thompson, and Trotter “falsely purported to represent all stakeholders” when the trio entered into several business contracts and opened several bank accounts to deposit money from the three companies. The lawsuit also accuses that through acts of “forgery, wire fraud, bank fraud, mail fraud, and criminal copyright infringement” Gee, Thompson, and Trotter received several millions of dollars through the band’s companies, some of which Hubbard was entitled to as a stakeholder.

Hubbard’s wife and estate are seeking restitution for the property, money, and benefits it says are owed to Hubbard and his estate, as well as attorneys’ fees and additional damages. The estate wants the court to inspect the defendants’ records regarding Hubbard and his estate, look over the accounting of their business transactions, and suspend the use of the Roots’ trademark until its value can be determined.

“I would hope that these guys would have enough respect and compassion for their former band member… to make sure that he receives compensation for what may have not been given to him in the past, and so that his widow can live a reasonable life,” said Luke Lucas, who is representing Hubbard’s estate, according to the Philadelphia Business Journal.

Rock The Bells, the global platform dedicated to elevating Hip-Hop culture from its roots to the modern day, announced today the return of the Rock The Bells Festival, taking place on Saturday, August 5, 2023 at Forest Hills Stadium in Queens, NY. The dynamic, day-long celebration will serve as THE pinnacle moment to celebrate 50 Years of Hip-Hop, with a legendary lineup in the city that launched a movement and shifted culture.

Today also marks the 5-year anniversary of Rock The Bells, marked by the premiere of Rock The Bells Radio on SiriusXM. In celebration of these milestones and their continued partnership, a dedicated billboard will be on display in Times Square above the Pedestrian Plaza, live for 24 hours only.

The festival lineup will be announced in April, and attendees can expect performances by some of Hip-Hop’s most revered icons, including MCs, DJs, and producers, in addition to one-of-a-kind immersive experiences underscoring Hip-Hop’s impact on fashion, art, and food over the span of five decades.

“For 50 years, Hip-Hop has impacted the world, often without recognition. At Rock The Bells, we consistently honor the culture through creative content, commerce, and experiences and this year, we’ve made it a priority to show up for the culture on another level,” said LL COOL J, Founder and CEO of Rock The Bells. “The Rock The Bells Festival is the place to be to celebrate Hip-Hop and capture the breadth of its impact throughout generations in music, fashion, art, and more. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience. If you love Hip-Hop, you know where to go on August 5.”

The festival also kicks off a week of live events, activations, and programming moments leading up to National Hip-Hop day on August 11th, the official, recognized anniversary of the culture.

Fans can sign up today to be first in line to access presale tickets on April 11 at rockthebellsfestival.com for the most talked about 50 Years of Hip-Hop celebration during the festival.

The Rock The Bells Festival is co-produced by The Bowery Presents. Festival updates and lineup announcements can also be found across Rock The Bells’ Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

This news first appeared on prnewswire.com.

As Women’s History Month comes to a close, Village Enterprise is thrilled to announce a gift of $7 million from MacKenzie Scott that will have a transformative impact on the lives of the most vulnerable women living in extreme poverty in rural Africa and their families.

As the largest single unrestricted donation in Village Enterprise’s history, the gift will be a cornerstone of Village Enterprise’s work to equip three million first-time entrepreneurs in Africa with skills and resources to launch sustainable businesses, ending extreme poverty and building climate resilience for 20 million women, children, and men by 2030.

“It’s only fitting that Ms. Scott’s generous gift comes during Women’s History Month, as it will be life-changing for women living in extreme poverty in Africa and their families,” said Dianne Calvi, Village Enterprise Chief Executive Officer. “When women have opportunities to launch climate-smart businesses, they not only lift themselves and their families out of poverty—they are also equipped to adapt to the threats of climate change. As East Africa is going through its worst drought in four decades, this is crucial to ensuring long-term prosperity for the most vulnerable households.”

Through collective action with governments, multi- and bi-lateral agencies, funders, other nonprofits, and private sector companies, Village Enterprise is currently scaling their cost-effective poverty graduation model to end extreme poverty and drive climate resilience in Africa. With funding from Cartier Philanthropy, Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, the Delta Fund, the Government of Kenya, IKEA Foundation, The Starbucks Foundation, UN Women, Whole Planet Foundation, among others, Village Enterprise has already trained more than 264,000 entrepreneurs in Africa, transforming the lives of more than 1,565,000 people living in extreme poverty.

“Over the past seven years, I have been impressed by Village Enterprise’s proven and cost-effective intervention to work with the most vulnerable to provide them with the tools to live a better life,” said Pascale de la Frégonnière, Strategic Advisor to the Board at Cartier Philanthropy. “They are constantly innovating and improving on their model to increase their impact especially among women and are not afraid of taking on very ambitious challenges, such as successfully putting together and implementing the first development impact bond for poverty alleviation in sub-Saharan Africa. Cartier Philanthropy is excited to continue to invest in Village Enterprise’s life-changing program.”

Village Enterprise’s impact is driven by their passionate, talented African team. Studied by two rigorous, independent randomized controlled trials, which were conducted by Innovations for Poverty Action and IDinsight, the Village Enterprise model is proven to cost-effectively increase consumption, assets, income, savings, net wealth, nutrition, and food security for participants living in extreme poverty. It has also been shown to increase the mental health, well-being, and sense of economic standing of women in the program.

Village Enterprise’s award-winning poverty graduation model is at the center of collective action initiatives taking on the most pressing issues in Africa. Through partnerships with small locally-led organizations, as well as large international nonprofits such as African Wildlife Foundation, Catholic Relief Services, Mercy Corps, and Wildlife Conservation Society, Village Enterprise’s approach is reducing deforestation and poaching, combating food insecurity and acute child malnutrition, and supporting refugees and displaced populations fleeing conflict.

“Mercy Corps is proud to partner with Village Enterprise to alleviate poverty in rural Africa,” said Tjada D’Oyen McKenna, Chief Executive Officer of Mercy Corps. “Their team is passionate about ending extreme poverty and focused on transformative impact. By combining our evidence-based approaches and working together in refugee camps—one of the world’s most challenging contexts—we are building the foundation to transform the way the humanitarian sector approaches refugee assistance.”

Village Enterprise’s work has been recognized at the highest level by Candid, Charity Navigator, the Drucker Institute, Great Nonprofits, Founders Pledge, Million Lives Collective, and The Life You Can Save. Their DREAMS for Refugees initiative with Mercy Corps was a winner of the Larsen Lam ICONIQ Impact Award in 2021.

“Ms. Scott’s gift is a powerful testament to our work and to the fact that we can’t end extreme poverty alone,” said Dianne Calvi. “We’re looking for more governments, agencies, companies, and individuals to join us in taking collective action to end extreme poverty. After all, we go further together.”

This news first appeared on prnewswire.com.

• Fashion & Beauty

by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

March 30, 2023

Mielle Expands Pomegranate & Honey Collection with the Debut of New Air Dry Stylers

---

As “The Textured Hair Care Authority,” Mielle – the fastest growing Black-founded and women-led beauty brand – is expanding its beloved Pomegranate & Honey Collection with the launch of the brand’s 1^st air dry stylers.

Meant to perfect your wash-and-go, the brand-new Mielle Pomegranate & Honey Air Dry Styling Lotion and Pomegranate & Honey Air Dry Styler Gel ($12.99 each) substantially reduce drying time. They maintain moisture & shine, while offering flexible control & hold without the crunch.

Mielle’s Pomegranate & Honey Collection Prime + Define™ styling system formulated for thick, curly, Type 4 hair. But don’t get it twisted, it’s perfect for “curls on the go” looking to achieve definition. Featuring hero ingredients like pomegranate seed oil and honey, these products deeply condition your strands for added moisture and softer, more manageable curls. Curated with gels, stylers, conditioners and more, this collection of products is specifically chosen for you to achieve easy detangling, increased curl elasticity and definition for more beautiful, natural styles.

Mielle’s newest additions to the Pomegranate & Honey collection, the Air Styler Lotion & Air Styler Gel up the ante by reducing drying time and helping you reclaim precious hours from the woes of wash day. Now you can Wash & Go Go Go!

Mielle Pomegranate & Honey Air Dry Styling Lotion – $12.99
https://mielleorganics.com/collections/all/products/pomegranate-honey-air-dry-styling-lotion

Long air-dry time got your wash-n-go feeling like a wash day woe? Cut down drying time while sealing in moisture and creating touchably soft curls. This Air Dry Styling Lotion was formulated to detangle and define as it softens type 4 hair for perfect air-dried wash-n-go’s. This innovative sprayable lotion seals in moisture for fast drying, soft to the touch curls that move.

Mist as needed onto freshly shampooed hair paying special attention to ends. Gently detangle with fingers or use a wide tooth comb to ensure even product distribution. Style as desired. For a firmer hold, follow with our Mielle Pomegranate & Honey Air Dry Styler Gel.

Key Benefits:

• Fast Drying Sprayable Lotion
• Softens, Detangles & Defines
• For Curls on the Go!
• Lightweight, Soft Definition
• Pairs well with Pomegranate & Honey Air Dry Styler Gel
• For Curls on The Go

Mielle Pomegranate & Honey Air Dry Styler Gel – $12.99
https://mielleorganics.com/collections/all/products/pomegranate-honey-air-dry-styler-gel

Hair needs hours to air-dry? Who has time for that? Elongate, clump, and set your curl pattern to the perfect fast drying definition. This Air Dry Styler Gel was formulated to elongate, clump and set type 4 hair for perfect air-dried wash-n-go’s. This innovative sprayable liquid gel delivers flexible control, medium hold and fast drying definition.

After applying the Pomegranate & Honey Air Dry Styling Lotion, mist as needed onto hair paying special attention to ends. Gently detangle with fingers or use a wide tooth comb to ensure even product distribution. Style as desired.

Key Benefits:

• Fast Drying Sprayable Liquid Gel
• Elongates, Clumps, Defines & Sets Curl Pattern
• For Curls on the Go!
• Lightweight, Medium Hold Definition
• Pairs well with Pomegranate & Honey Air Dry Styling Lotion
• For Curls on The Go

This news first appeared on prnewswire.com.

CEO and founder of FUBU, and star on ABC’s Emmy Award-winning TV show Shark Tank, Daymond John, has recently released Little Daymond Learns to Earn, a 40-page original picture book designed to provide an opportunity for parents to teach kids financial intelligence.  

The New York Times best-selling author’s first children’s book “explains the fundamentals of entrepreneurship from a simple monetary standpoint and within a system of friendship to do what you love, and have joy with it.” 

Little Daymond Learns to Earn builds the understanding of the value of creating a product, marketing it to your audience, and earning money through hard work. The book’s goal is to connect with parents who want to teach their children about how to be financially responsible and also connect with their children on a deeper level.

Little Daymond Learns to Earn opens the conversation for dialogue about financial intelligence and building generational wealth by illustrating the process of starting a business and how to responsibly use money. John believes “this book can create a system and understanding to spark a conversation with schools, parents, and institutions to start incorporating financial intelligence and literacy at the first, second, and third-grade levels in schools.”

Leaving a legacy behind

Known globally for creating a clothing brand that reached the masses, and Shark Tank an Award-winning business TV series, “but this book Little Daymond Learns to Earn is going to be my legacy,” said John. “When I die, I want my girls to say, my dad sparked the conversation for kids around financial intelligence.” The basis and fundamentals to open a child’s mind to basic financial intelligence are artfully crafted in this fun and relatable story. 

Big Daymond reminisces about being little Daymond

Growing up in New York City is a unique experience. Full of wealth and abundance on one block, and poverty and lack on the other. Straddling the border between adolescence and young adulthood “New York City taught you the grind and taught you how to pivot,” said John. “It showed you the hustle and the grind but it did not teach you financial intelligence.” John was not the only Black man selling hats in New York City, but he became one of the very few to create a global brand. In Johns’s view, “it is the lack and or knowledge of financial intelligence and how to scale a business that keeps many from growing.”

About ‘Little Daymond Learns to Earn’

Little Daymond Learns to Earn follows Little Daymond and his friends as they discover the best way to earn money to afford their purchases at a street fair. Little Daymond helped his mom at her booth and earned five dollars, but this was not enough to purchase the t-shirt he set his eyes on at the fair. He decided to start a t-shirt business. With motivation and an idea, Little Daymond and his friends use their unique skills to start a business, reinvest, and earn enough to purchase items of their choosing. The book is geared toward kids ages 5-12 and contains guides to simple financial literacy terms and how to responsibly use money. John believes “Little Daymond Learns to Earn will teach kids and parents financial intelligence through a story and pictures that are simple to digest.” He continued, “in the book, Little Daymond works with his friends in a collective system of talents to create joy for other people while at the same time rewarding himself and having a good time, and that is called being an entrepreneur!”

How to get your children ‘Little Daymond Learns to Earn’

The book can be purchased at littledaymond.com where you can enter for the chance to spend a private 15-minute conversation or meet with John in person. Books will also be available at all the major book retailers online and in person. 

If you are a teacher or educator that has similar products or would like more information on how to incorporate the book in your classroom, or student organization you can contact the Daymond John team by email at daymond@daymondjohn.com.