In the spirit of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Bold TV wanted to highlight some inspiring and prosperous Black-owned businesses. Here are three legendary Black founders and their success stories.
1. Daymond John
This “Shark Tank” investor and founder of FUBU revolutionized the fashion industry! John and his co-founders started making ’80s hats in his mother’s home and selling them on the streets in Queens, New York. They needed a factory so they could make more hats. So, John found a way to convince his mother to re-mortgage her house and redesign the home. He could then start making other things such as T-shirts for young men. Even as he was doing this, he also worked at a local Red Lobster. How cool is it that he could transform his whole house to make his dream come true?
“A savvy entrepreneur will not always look for investment money first.”
Daymond John
2. David L. Steward
This fantastic business owner created and founded his company World Wide Technology (WWT) back in 1990, and he’s still the chairman today! WWT provides technology and supply chain services, and it works with 70% of Fortune 100 companies. Because of the company’s success, Steward is one of 12 Black billionaires in the world.
“The hardest thing to do is take that first step to overcome your fears and self-doubt, especially when you’re surrounded by doubting Thomases who constantly reinforce those fears based on their personal beliefs.”
David L. Steward
3. Oprah Winfrey
We all know and love Oprah! Through her company Harpo Productions, Winfrey can control her show rather than run on another network. Oprah introduced a somewhat new approach to media at the time. Instead of being paid like talent, she was able to get ownership of her show and gain access to more of the show’s profits. Now that The Oprah Winfrey Show is over, Harpo lives on by going further into the magazine and radio realms of media!
“We have to make the choice — every single day — to exemplify the truth, the respect and the grace that we wish for this world.”
Oprah Winfrey
For more information on Black founders, check this out.
