Black Business Celebration Event Curated by Daymond John, Featured Notable Celebrity Interviews; $250K In NAACP Powershift Grants Awarded
NEW YORK /PRNewswire/ – Daymond John, the founder and CEO of FUBU and co-star of ABC's four-time Emmy Award-winning show "Shark Tank," just wrapped up his inaugural Black Entrepreneurs Day presented byChase for Business. In conjunction with Medium Rare (Shaq vs. Gronk), Black Entrepreneurs Day was a historic live-stream generating more than six million live viewers from all 50 states and more than 100 countries.
Black Entrepreneurs Day presented byChase for Business utilized its platform to share stories that were as informative as they were inspiring. Those streaming from home had the opportunity to glean insight from personal triumphs and tribulations accounted for in the Game Changer Conversations, presented by The General Insurance. Daymond John helmed these one-on-one conversations with Black business leaders – including Shaquille O'Neal, Gabrielle Union, Robert Johnson, LL Cool J, Ice-T, Arlan Hamilton, Elicia Azali, and Brian Lamb – plus an incredible Robinhood Roundtable featuring Dwayne Wade. In addition, the event featured incredible musical performances from Chance The Rapper, Questlove and DJ Diesel.
The event was recorded in a custom Black Entrepreneurs Day studio in New York City and broadcasted across Facebook, plus nearly a dozen other social media platforms as John's guests joined virtually thanks to the event's partner Cisco Webex. Viewers at home were provided the opportunity to participate by soliciting answers to their own entrepreneurship questions via event partner Yappa.
"Black Entrepreneurs Day meant more to me than I can describe. It was amazing to be able to celebrate and highlight those who have overcome the battles our community has faced for years and to inspire change for the future so that all entrepreneurs of all colors can have the same opportunities. It was incredible to see how many people across race, creed, gender, religion reached out and told me how impactful the event was. Thank you to Chase for Business for believing in me and our partnership and thank you to every single person around the world who tuned in," John said.
The event provided guidance and inspiration to the next generation of rising entrepreneurs, as well as $250,000 in bottom-line financial support, via its "NAACP Powershift Entrepreneur Grant," which was created by Daymond in partnership with the NAACP. The grant was broken up into 10 individual grants, generously funded by the event's partners: Chase for Business, The General Insurance, Pepsi, Cisco Webex, Quickbooks, Yappa, Robinhood, Shopify and UPS, plus a generous donation from CNBC's Jim Cramer.
The 10 Black-owned small business winners of the NAACP Powershift Grant are:
| Grant Winner | Business Location | Presenting Brand |
|---|---|---|
| VINATERÍA | New York, NY | Chase |
| Black and Mobile | Philadelphia, PA | Yappa |
| Cupcake Collection | Nashville, TN | The General |
| JAS | Atlanta, GA | UPS |
| J's Breakfast Club | Gary, IN | Pepsi |
| Clevtech | Houston, TX | Cisco Webex |
| Get Laced | Los Angeles, CA | Shopify |
| Distinct Tax Consulting | Morrow, GA | Quickbooks |
| SpenDebt | St. Louis, MO | Robinhood |
| Candy Connection | Middletown, DE | Jim Cramer |
John has been an ambassador for Chase since 2016 and has played a central role within Chase's Advancing Black Entrepreneurs program, which offers tools and advice to help Black business owners address issues such as the financial challenges presented by the coronavirus pandemic. John was honored to partner with Chase for Business to power the Black Entrepreneurs Day broadcast and to highlight Chase clients overcoming adversity throughout the show.
"Given the millions of viewers from viewers at home, our special guests, and corporate partners, it's a no brainer that we intend to continue Black Entrepreneurs Day as an annual event. Our goal is to provide both mentorship to business owners around the country and celebrate our community of Black-owned businesses," John said.
On the heels of the event's success, Medium Rare's Adam Richman and Joe Silberzweig, alongside Daymond John, are planning a follow-up to the event for 2021 that continues to carry the message on how to educate yourself in business through a star-studded line-up that features the biggest names in sports, entertainment, music, and business.
Follow along for updates or watch the broadcast at BlackEntrepreneursDay.com and its Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
