Shark Tank’s Daymond John Hosts 2024 Black Entrepreneurs Day
November 27, 2024
The event championing entrepreneurs awarded three $25k grants to Black-owned businesses.
Business mogul and Shark Tank star Daymond John hosted his fifth annual Black Entrepreneurs Day in Atlanta on Nov. 22. In honor of the event’s presence in Atlanta, Mayor Andre Dickens issued a proclamation to John, officially recognizing Black Entrepreneurs Day.
The event championing Black business owners brought out thousands of participants via in-person attendance and virtual streaming. Taking place in Atlanta’s historic Fox Theatre, Black Entrepreneurs Day featured special guests and speakers such as Kelly Rowland, Jordan Chiles, and Charlamagne Tha God. Rashad Bilal and Troy Millings, co-founders of the business-focused media platform “Earn Your Leisure,” also took part in the educational festivities.
The event also featured a conversation with Flava Flav, who deemed authenticity as a key to his success. In an exclusive conversation with BLACK ENTERPRISE Flav shared some encouraging and thoughtful business advice to entrepreneurs.
“Once you start a business, all you have to do is really believe in it,” the rapper and television personality told BE. “[As] long as you believe in it, it will become yours and grow beyond whatever you thought it would be.”
“…being able to be a [professional] athlete and a college athlete at the same time… I think it is a blessing in disguise because there [are] a lot of things you do have to learn, but also understand that your name is something that is your brand as well.
She continued, “Navigating that, whether it’s a Nike contract, a leotard contract, [or] whatever it is, it definitely was hard. But I do have the right people around me, being able to help me be[come] financially stable in that process…”
As for Chiles, she engaged in a wealth management discussion presented by JP Morgan Chase. The Olympian talked about her own “Balancing Act” of making smart financial decisions as her career takes new heights.
The occasion awarded three $25k grants to Black businesses. The grants were bestowed in partnership with the NAACP and event sponsors, such as Hilton and T-Mobile for Business. A Salt Lake City-based dessert shop named Parfé Diem took home one grant, with Black mother and daughter-owned fashion accessory line Gabby Bows awarded another. Vontelle, a Brooklyn-based eyewear company, earned the final grant of the day.
John founded Black Entrepreneurs Day in 2020 in response to the height of the Black Lives Matter protests. Wanting to uplift his community from within, the event took off to inspire Black entrepreneurs with resources and financial opportunities.
Ahead of its 2024 rendition, John spoke to Atlanta Daily World of his evolving intentions with the program.
“This is our fifth year, and it’s going to be special. We’re going to surpass $1 million in grants this year,” John said to the local news outlet. “That’s free money to Black businesses. We’ve already given money to 40 Black businesses. And you’ll meet great entrepreneurs and other people you may want to work with. We’re going to have a good time.”
He added, “The whole reason why it was created was that in 2020, when we saw people who were burning businesses instead of building them, I said, the reason they’re doing this [is] that they have no hope. But if you can see me there, and you can see the things I’ve learned the way that I failed, and the way that I’m bringing the resources, you can do exactly what I did… Black Entrepreneurs Day is about seeing people that look like you who are succeeding.”
The evening was filled with activations and game-changing conversations, from AI to reducing the wealth gap. As Black Entrepreneurs Day continues, John hopes to further his impact as he propels these businesses forward.
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