A Celebration of Black Business Curated by Daymond John Live From The Apollo and Streaming Exclusively on Facebook ● Kevin Hart, Shaquille O’Neal, Tyra Banks, Khalid, Michael Strahan, Marcus Samuelsson, Rev Run, and More to Participate on Oct. 14, 2021 ● ‘NAACP Powershift Grant’ Submissions are Now Open to Black Entrepreneurs — Awarding $250,000+ in Business Grants During the Show
NEW YORK, September 23, 2021 (Newswire.com)
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Daymond John, the founder and CEO of FUBU and co-star of ABC’s four-time Emmy Award-winning show “Shark Tank,” has announced the second annual Black Entrepreneurs Day presented by Chase for Business. In conjunction with Medium Rare and The Shark Group, Black Entrepreneurs Day presented by Chase for Business is a primetime special at the intersection of business and entertainment. The inaugural event in 2020 attracted over seven million viewers and won two Webby Awards for the best Remote Business & Finance event on the internet. This year’s free global live-stream celebrating Black business & entrepreneurship will air on Oct. 14 beginning at 7 p.m. ET exclusively on Facebook via Daymond John’s Page and across Facebook channels.
Black Entrepreneurs Day presented by Chase for Business will be highlighted by Game Changer Conversations presented by The General Insurance®, showcasing Daymond John in one-on-one discussions with Black businesses leaders and cultural icons including Shaquille O’Neal, Tyra Banks, Michael Strahan, Marcus Samuelsson, Rev Run, and Janice Bryant Howroyd. Plus, the legendary Kevin Hart will lead a “Hart Felt Conversation” sponsored by J.P. Morgan Wealth Management.
Musical superstar Khalid will join Black Entrepreneurs Day to perform live from The Apollo Theater. At just 23 years old, platinum recording artist Khalid has received accolades including six Grammy Award nominations, six Billboard Music Awards, three American Music Awards, an MTV VMA, and was named one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in 2019.
Black Entrepreneurs Day is excited to welcome its A-List guests and business leaders to The World Famous Apollo Theater in Harlem in front of a live studio audience. The legendary Apollo Theater plays a vital role in cultivating emerging artists and launching legends. Since its founding in 1934, the Apollo has served as a center of innovation and a creative catalyst for Harlem, the city of New York, and the world.
The event will provide guidance and inspiration to the next generation of rising entrepreneurs, as well as $250,000+ in bottom-line financial support via its “NAACP Powershift Grant.” Black Entrepreneurs and small business owners across the country can apply now for a $25,000 NAACP Powershift grant on the event website through Sept. 28. The 10 grants have been generously funded by the event’s sponsors: Chase for Business, JP Morgan Wealth Management, The General, T-Mobile for Business, Salesforce, Johnson & Johnson, Shopify, Quickbooks, Klaviyo, and Logitech. Everyone who applies for the grant will receive free access to Hello Alice, including step-by-step business guides, thousands of industry-specific business resources, and a peer-to-peer community of nearly a half-million small business owners ready to help you succeed.
“In the wake of the pandemic unfolding last year, we launched Black Entrepreneurs Day as a way to support Black business owners and budding entrepreneurs through an exceptionally uncertain time. Here we are just one year later, able to celebrate the hustle and grit of so many in the community; those who are pushing forward, pursuing their dreams and, in some cases, thriving. With that in mind, we are excited to introduce the second annual Black Entrepreneurs Day presented by Chase for Business. This year’s event, taking place live from Harlem’s iconic Apollo Theater, will stream to millions of homes across the globe. With the help of many great companies such as JPMorgan Chase, The General, T-Mobile for Business, Salesforce, Shopify, and others, which are doing great work with their own diversity and inclusion efforts, we’re hosting the brightest, most exceptional stars and business leaders to inspire and inform,” said Daymond John.
“The continued need to support Black entrepreneurs during this period of recovery cannot be overstated. Black Entrepreneurs Day provides an invaluable resource to a community that is historically overlooked when it comes to resources and funding. Ensuring economic growth and sustainability is a mainstay for Black business owners is crucial. The NAACP is eager to lend our time and effort to ensure we reach as many Black communities as possible with assistance,” said Derrick Johnson, president and CEO, NAACP.
Black Entrepreneurs Day Presented by Chase Show Program:
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Game Changer Conversations presented by The General featuring Shaquille O’Neal, Tyra Banks, Michael Strahan, Marcus Samuelsson, Rev Run, and Janice Bryant Howroyd
- Live Musical Performance by Khalid
- A Hart Felt Conversation Featuring Kevin Hart presented by J.P. Morgan Wealth Management
- “NAACP Powershift Entrepreneur Grant” Celebration & Showcase
- Magenta Edge Roundtable presented by T-Mobile for Business
- Exclusive Conversation with Minea Moore presented by Salesforce
- Health Equity Innovation Roundtable presented by Johnson & Johnson
- Black LeadHERship: A Black Women’s Roundtable presented by The General
- Build Black with Shopify Roundtable
- From Startups to Stars presented by Klaviyo
- Empowering Entrepreneurs presented by Chase for Business
- Giving Power presented by Facebook
- Yappa Live Q+A Featuring Daymond John
For the second year in a row, Daymond is honored to partner with JPMorgan Chase to power the Black Entrepreneurs Day broadcast, host a conversation with the firm’s executives, and highlight small businesses overcoming adversity throughout the show. The firm offers financial tools, resources and advice to help Black business owners start, run and grow their businesses. In 2021 alone, JPMorgan Chase committed $350 million to grow Black, Latin and Hispanic, and women-owned small businesses and recently launched a new mentorship program designed to accelerate Black small business growth in 13 U.S. cities, including New York.
JPMorgan Chase is also committed to growing wealth for Black entrepreneurs by offering the tools to invest digitally, remotely or in person with an advisor. The firm launched this year the J.P. Morgan Wealth Management Scholarship Program for HBCUs and announced that it is committed to hiring 300 Black and Latin/Hispanic advisors by 2025. During a Hart Felt Conversation, Kevin Hart and Daymond will speak to the many ways J.P. Morgan Wealth Management helps clients become financially savvy through financial resources, demystifying the topic of wealth management. They will also discuss how J.P. Morgan helps clients make the most of their money so they can make the most of their lives. Separately, Daymond will join Brian Lamb, JPMorgan Chase’s Global Head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and Byna Elliott, Head of Advancing Black Pathways, at the firm’s Empowering Entrepreneurs Forum to discuss JPMorgan Chase’s $30 billion racial equity commitment to support Black-owned businesses and communities. “When small businesses succeed, our communities are stronger. As a firm, we’re committed to supporting Black entrepreneurs by helping them get access to the critical resources they need to start, grow and scale their businesses. We’re proud to be a part of Black Entrepreneurs Day and celebrate Black business owners who have faced extraordinary challenges yet continue to inspire us all,“ said Brian Lamb, global head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at JPMorgan Chase.
For the second year running, The General will power the event’s “Game Changer Conversations,” which features Daymond in inspirational one-on-one conversations with Black business leaders and cultural icons. Prepare for Game Changing Conversations featuring Shaquille O’Neal, Tyra Banks, Michael Strahan, Rev Run, Marcus Samuelsson and the first female Black billionaire Janice Bryant Howroyd. In honor of National Women’s Small Business Month, The General will present: Black LeadHERship — A Black Women’s Roundtable Presented by The General featuring business leaders from the American Family Insurance Enterprise: Elicia Azali, Telisa Yancy, Sherina Smith, and Lauren Powell, alongside Daymond John. “The General is excited to once again partner with Black Entrepreneurs Day to celebrate Black businesses, and I’m thrilled to have three of my fellow colleagues at American Family Insurance join me this year for the Black LeadHERship Roundtable discussion,” said American Family Insurance Enterprise Chief Marketing Officer Elicia Azali. “We all want to do more by sharing our stories of success, failures, and passion from learning our mistakes in hopes it will inspire others.”
Black Entrepreneurs Day has partnered with T-Mobile for Business and its small business content destination Magenta Edge to present an exclusive Magenta Edge roundtable discussion about building, running, and growing a small business today. Magenta Edge will also screen a documentary from its recent series featuring small business owners who have thrived despite a COVID-stricken economy. Magenta Edge and its growing library of content and support have a foundational focus on Black-owned small businesses, which have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19, while offering educational programming, original stories, and insights for all entrepreneurs. More information about the company’s corporate responsibility efforts, including diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, can be found in T-Mobile’s annual report.
Salesforce is dedicated to driving systemic change in communities through its racial equality and justice commitments across people, philanthropy, purchasing, and policy. Salesforce is advancing these efforts with the purchasing goal of investing $100 million to Black-owned businesses and $100 million to underrepresented minority founders through Salesforce Ventures over the next three years. In addition to this financial investment, Salesforce is inspiring and connecting Black-owned businesses of all sizes by hosting events such as the Black Business Month Block Party, a virtual summit that elevated Black entrepreneurs, creatives, and business leaders and led important conversations about building Black wealth and investing in the future. A new study from IDC finds that Salesforce and its partner ecosystem will create 9.3 million new jobs by 2026, illustrating expansive opportunities for Black talent and entrepreneurship. At this year’s Black Entrepreneurs Day, Salesforce’s Ecosystem Equality Director Minea Moore will sit down with Daymond John for an exclusive conversation to discuss Salesforce’s Partner Ecosystem and the Salesforce Talent Alliance program designed to help Salesforce partners and customers build a more diverse workforce of Salesforce-certified and credentialed talent.
Late last year, Johnson & Johnson announced its Our Race to Health Equity initiative, a bold aspiration to help eradicate racial and social injustice within public health by eliminating health inequities for people of color. During the Johnson & Johnson Health Equity & Innovation Roundtable, Daymond will connect with Seema Kumar, Global Head, Office of Innovation, Global Health & Scientific Engagement, Johnson & Johnson; Dr. Uché Blackstock, founder and CEO of Advancing Health Equity; and Del Smith, CEO, Acclinate, to discuss the racial and social injustices and inequities that have long plagued society and the health of communities of color across the United States. The panel will also address the critical need for diversity in science and the company’s upcoming Health Equity Innovation Challenge, an initiative that aims to empower communities and accelerate solutions by stimulating innovation, entrepreneurship, and economic impact by the community for the community. The Challenge will call on entrepreneurs, innovators, start-ups, and community-based organizations to submit ideas for transformational innovation to advance health equity in Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York and Philadelphia. Johnson & Johnson will start accepting applications on Sept. 28, 2021.
The future is now with Shopify. Through initiatives such as Build Black and its support of the 1MBB movement, Shopify has continued to reshape the ways in which minorities are supported and businesses, especially Black-owned businesses, are given a platform to be seen. Together with Daymond John and Black Entrepreneurs Day, Shopify will present not only a Build Black Roundtable, but also showcase Shopfiy success stories focused on Black-owned businesses that have leveraged Shopfiy’s platform and tools to catapult themselves to success. Focused on Black business, yet inclusive to all, the Build Black with Shopify Roundtable will not only showcase entrepreneurs who have built their businesses thanks to Shopify, but inspire viewers and future entrepreneurs to build their own brands.
Klaviyo is committed to helping Black-owned businesses own their data, their customer relationships and the experiences they deliver. A leading customer data and marketing automation platform, Klaviyo is proud to partner with Black Entrepreneurs Day to host the From Startups to Stars Roundtable with Daymond John and Klaviyo users. With Klaviyo, it doesn’t matter if you’re a startup or a star, your business is important and Klaviyo has the tools needed to build your brand.
Black Entrepreneurs Day has partnered with Intuit Quickbooks to present an informative panel about what small businesses need to do from Day One to best position themselves to address common challenges and access capital that can open up new opportunities for growth. The panel will be moderated by Daymond and feature expert commentary from QuickBooks’ Sheldon Cummings and small business owners. For more than 25 years, QuickBooks has been the trusted partner of small businesses, helping customers simplify the financial complexities of managing their business and achieve success. QuickBooks saves entrepreneurs and small businesses time and money by helping them manage their books, get paid fast, access capital, and pay employees with confidence.
Logitech, the video conferencing leader and proud advocate for minority-owned businesses, creates the possibility of remote collaboration through cutting-edge products and technology. Black Entrepreneurs Day has joined forces with Logitech as the event’s technology partner to power all remote conversations and NAACP grant-winning moments. Alongside Logitech’s generous donation to the NAACP Powershift Grant, the renowned technology brand will be providing Logitech equipment to all grant winners to help them grow their businesses.
Facebook has remained committed to supporting Black-owned businesses and organizations through ongoing programming, grant and loan opportunities, and innovative resources and digital skills training. For Black Entrepreneurs Day, Alvin Bowles, Facebook’s Vice President of Business Ecosystem Partnerships, will join Daymond John on stage to discuss Facebook’s support of Black-owned small businesses, creators and nonprofits in the U.S. Facebook is continuing to iterate on ways to support businesses that have been the most adversely impacted by the pandemic, including the recent launch of the Facebook Invoice Fast Track program which gives minority-owned small businesses the ability to access the liquidity that they need right now through a $100 million program.
Yappa, the audio and visual commenting tool established by Black founders Jennifer Dyer and Kiaran Sim, will be returning to Black Entrepreneurs Day this year for the Live Q+A with Daymond John. The social media tool which affords empathy and encourages community in the comments sections, will allow viewers around the world to submit questions to Daymond and the show’s celebrity guests. The questions will be submitted exclusively on the Black Entrepreneurs Day website via audio or video Yaps for the opportunity to have their questions answered live on air. A Black business supporting Black business, Yappa is offering business owners and entrepreneurs the opportunity to connect with their customers more authentically though an exclusive free trial of its platform with code YAPBED2021, which can be used at yappaapp.com/pricing.
The one-of-a-kind historic live-stream will take place on Thursday, Oct. 14, 2021, at 7 p.m. ET, live from Harlem’s World Famous Apollo Theater. All in attendance will be required to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination to enter the venue and ensure a mask is worn at all times. The studio audience will be made up of NAACP groups, HBCU students, and those lucky enough to get a free ticket to the event taping on BlackEntrepreneursDay.com — Apply Now. For the millions of viewers watching at home, Black Entrepreneurs Day will be completely free and available worldwide beginning at 7 p.m. ET exclusively on Facebook via Daymond John’s Page and across Facebook channels.
Event Flyer – CLICK HERE
ABOUT DAYMOND JOHN
Daymond John is CEO and founder of FUBU, a much-celebrated global lifestyle brand, and a pioneer in the fashion industry with over $6 billion in product sales. John’s marketing strategies and ability to build successful brands has made him a highly influential consultant and motivational speaker today. John is also an author of four best-selling books including his New York Times best-selling books The Power of Broke (2016), Rise and Grind (2018) and Powershift (2020). A Presidential Ambassador for Global Entrepreneurship under the Obama Administration, John is celebrating his 13th season on ABC’s four-time Emmy Award-winning show “Shark Tank” where, as one of the original Sharks, he demonstrates his marketing prowess and entrepreneurial insights.
ABOUT MEDIUM RARE
Focused at the intersection of Sports & Entertainment, Medium Rare partners with athletes, celebrities, and brands to build iconic media properties. Medium Rare is the creator and producer of Webby Award-winning brands including The SHAQ Bowl, Shaq’s Fun House, Daymond John’s Black Entrepreneurs Day, Guy Fieri’s Restaurant Reboot, The Sports Illustrated Awards, Rob Gronkowski’s Gronk Beach, SHAQ vs GRONK, and more. Medium Rare was founded by Joe Silberzweig and Adam Richman, who were recently honored with 4X Webby Awards, Forbes 30 Under 30, and Pollstar’s Next Gen Impact. Learn more at www.Medium-Rare.com.
ABOUT SHARK GROUP
The Shark Group’s team of expert communicators, strategic analysts, and creative heavyweights excels in propelling brands into the fabric of pop culture. Founded by award-winning entrepreneur Daymond John, the agency’s culture is deeply rooted in thinking like entrepreneurs to create value for its partners and clients. Some of its clients include Chase, Shopify, T-Mobile, AARP, Daymond John, Carlos Santana, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and many others. Learn more at www.TheSharkGroup.com.
Media Contact:
RMG
Zachary Rosenfield, Zach@RMG-PR.com, 310.429.3659
Amanda Brocato, Amanda@RMG-PR.com, 512.743.3941
Source: Black Entrepreneurs Day
