MIDDLETOWN, Pa. — Penn State Harrisburg’s Chancellor's Leadership Access Student Program (CLASP) will welcome Daymond John, founder and CEO of FUBU and star of ABC's "Shark Tank," as national keynote speaker from 7 to 8 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 13. The event will be held virtually via YouTube Live. Click here to register.
CLASP annually brings a national speaker to address the entire campus and local community. John will present his personal story of how he became a successful multi-millionaire business leader, and the importance of integrity and mentorship.
John has become globally recognized for his commitment to promoting and supporting entrepreneurs. He initially made his mark as the entrepreneur and branding expert behind the lifestyle brand FUBU, which has surpassed more than $6 billion in global retail sales. From the streets of Hollis, Queens, John started a global movement from the basement of his mother’s house by capitalizing on the then fledgling hip-hop culture. FUBU was undoubtedly a key development for the streetwear market, which today is a $20 billion industry.
In 2009, John joined the cast of the business-reality concept “Shark Tank.” Now, after nine seasons, four Emmy Awards, multiple Critic’s Choice Awards and millions of dollars in investments, the show has become one of the most successful business reality series of all time.
John, a New York Times bestselling author, has penned four books, “Display of Power,” “The Brand Within,” “The Power of Broke,” and “Rise And Grind: Outperform, Outwork, and Outhustle Your Way to a More Successful and Rewarding Life.”
In 2015, John was named a Presidential Ambassador for Global Entrepreneurship and was part of a group that joined former U.S. President Barack Obama at the Global Entrepreneur Summit in Kenya. In 2016, John accompanied Obama on his historic trip to Cuba, which represented the first time a sitting U.S. president visited the island since Calvin Coolidge in 1928.
One of John’s proudest accomplishments is his continued fight against dyslexia, he said. He has worked with the Yale Center for Dyslexia and he currently sits on the advisory board of Understood.org.
John regularly speaks at Fortune 100 companies, conferences, universities, and independent businesses. He has delivered keynote speeches for organizations such as General Mills, Johnson & Johnson, Samsung, AT&T, Yale, Georgia State University, Purdue University and dozens more.
A recipient of more than 35 awards, including the Brandweek Marketer of the Year and Ernst & Young’s Master Entrepreneur of the Year, John also serves as CEO of The Shark Group, a brand consultancy that specializes in brand strategy and development, artist relations and talent development. The Shark Group works with a wide range of businesses and brands, including Capital One, HSN, Forbes, Miller Lite, Gillette, Shopify and Infusionsoft and superstars such as Muhammad Ali, the Kardashians, Pitbull, Stan Lee, Carlos Santana, Jillian Michaels and others.