As part of the celebration for the 21st annual Keeper of the Dream Scholarship Awards, Oakland University will welcome famed entrepreneur, fashion mogul and marketing expert Daymond John as keynote speaker.
John is the creator of the worldwide FUBU fashion brand, owner of the Shark Branding consulting corporation, and star of the WABC’s reality television business show, “The Shark Tank.”
A self-made millionaire, John’s beginnings were humble in Hollis, Queens, New York. He took the first steps toward building his fashion empire by learning to sew his own versions of the high-end designs he liked but couldn’t afford.
John’s philosophy was to create a product that was as much about a lifestyle as it was about fashion.
Through his successes, John has established himself as a worldwide expert in business, branding, and marketing. The extraordinary reach of John’s company and branding has earned him the nickname, “godfather of urban fashion.”
John is a philanthropist who gives back to his home community, and is zealous about sharing the true story of his success, complete with pitfalls. John is the author of “Display of Power: How FUBU Changed a World of Fashion, Branding, and Lifestyle,” and “The Brand Within: How We Brand Ourselves, From Birth to the Boardroom.”
John’s expertise has earned him several major awards in the industries of business, entrepreneurship, and marketing. His work has been featured in publications such as Brandweek, Advertising Age, NAACP, Crain’s Business, Ernst & Young.
Oakland’s Keeper of the Dream Scholarship Awards celebration honors the legacy of the late civil rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The celebration recognizes students who exemplify Dr. King’s vision, and reward their efforts in promoting interracial acceptance and understanding.
Established in 1993, Keeper of the Dream provides scholarships up to $5,000 for students who have demonstrated strong citizenship, scholarship and leadership in breaking down cultural stereotypes and promoting interracial understanding. Since its inception, more than 80 students from a wide variety of academic majors have been awarded scholarships.
Past keynote speakers include esteemed public figures such as rapper and activist Common, actor Lou Gossett Jr., journalist and editor Susan L. Taylor, and civil rights leader Coretta Scott King.
This year’s celebration is set for 11:30 a.m. on Monday, January 21, 2013, in the Oakland Center Banquet Rooms.
For more information about the Keeper of the Dream event, please call the Center for Multicultural Initiatives at (248) 370-4404 or visit the
Keeper of the Dream website.
