Daymond John

Daymond John, is the founder, chief executive officer of FUBU and The Shark Group. He also appears on the Shark Tank" business reality television series.

Mr. John worked as a waiter at Red Lobster before getting his start in the clothing industry. In 1992 he began making hats in his mothers basement to sell at concerts and neighborhood festivals.

Mr. John's mother also helped her son launch his company by mortgaging her house for the $100,000 in start-up capital. With his childhood friends, Alexander Martin, Carl Brown and Keith Perrin, Team FUBU was born.

With early support from entertainer LL Cool J, FUBU became one of the leading hip hop clothing lines. At it peak FUBU had a $450 million enterprise value. The brand revolutionized the fashion industry and help spread hip hop culture around the globe.

Work Experience

• TV Personality on "Shark Tank", ABC Television
• CEO | Branding Expert, The Shark Group
• CEO & Founder, FUBU
• Branding Expert, Business Strategist, Venture Capitalist, Investor

Board and Advisor Roles

• Member, National Advisory Board, Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) is a global educational nonprofit focused on bringing the power of entrepreneurship to youth in low-income communities.

Accolades

• Brandweek Marketer of the Year
• NAACP Entrepreneurs of the Year Award (which he won twice)
• Advertising Age Marketing 1000 Award for Outstanding Ad Campaign
• Essence Award
• Crain's New York Business Forty Under Forty Award
• Ernst & Young's New York Entrepreneur of the Year Award
• Brandeis University International Business School's Asper Award for Excellence in Global Entrepreneurship
• Details 50 Most Influential Men
• Congressional Achievement Award for Entrepreneurship (which he won twice)
• In 2015, President Obama appointed John as an ambassador to promote underserved entrepreneurs