Daymond John Enlists Venus Williams, Shaquille O'Neal and More for Black Entrepreneurs Day

Mar. 15, 2025

Photo: Christopher Willard/ABC via Getty; Pascal Le Segretain/Getty; Nick Agro/E! Entertainment/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty

Shark Tank’sDaymond Johnis getting ready to celebrate Black entrepreneurs.

The live-streamed event will be a space to “empower and celebrate entrepreneurs everywhere,” according to a press release.

“Being in year three accomplishes one of my original goals of making this annual event that brings icons of the black community to participate an event that was quickly become one of the most fun D&I events of the year,” John, 53, said in a statement.

He continued, “With our incredible lineup, Black Entrepreneurs Day will once again inspire, educate, learn from, and celebrate those that are hustling, pushing forward, pursuing their dreams and, in many cases, thriving. It is truly my honor to return to Harlem’s iconic Apollo Theater, and bring BED to a place near and dear to my heart while ensuring audiences throughout the world can stream the show for free.”

This year’s Black Entrepreneurs Day will be different from years past as it will feature a new segment: the Build Black with Shopify’s Pitch Competition. The segment will parallelShark Tank’s formula where budding entrepreneurs pitch their businesses.

On that day, three entrepreneurs will pitch their ideas to a panel of three judges and a live studio audience. The winner will receive a grant for $25,000 to support their idea and business.

Daymond John.Roy Rochlin/Getty

The executive continued: “The NAACP will continue to ensure economic growth and sustainability for Black people. For the third year, we’re looking forward to seeing the ways that Black businesses are changing the landscape in industries like tech, beauty, travel and retail and helping them scale through the NAACP Powershift Entrepreneur Grant.”

The event is a collaboration between Medium Rare and The Shark Group. Sponsors and partners also include JPMorgan Chase, The General Insurance, PepsiCo, Shopify and many more.

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source: people.com