Shark Tank's Daymond John is Keynote Speaker for Macricostas Experience Week

A ‘Greek Celebration’ and Entrepreneur of the Year Breakfast also open to the public

Iconic businessman and “Shark Tank” costar Daymond John will visit Western Connecticut State University to serve as keynote speaker for its 2023 Macricostas Speaker Series Lecture, part of the Macricostas Experience at WCSU. The three-day experience also includes a celebration of Greek culture and the Macricostas Entrepreneur of the Year award breakfast.

Daymond John, founder of FUBU, elite brand consultant, Presidential Ambassador and ABC’s “Shark Tank” star, will present a talk on “Overcoming Adversity” on Thursday, March 30, at the university’s Ives Concert Hall in White Hall on the Midtown campus, 181 White St., Danbury. Tickets are on sale now at https://wcsutickets.ticketspice.com/daymond-john. On March 30, doors open at 6:30 p.m. for the 7 p.m. talk. Ticket prices are: free for current WCSU students, $50 for General Admission, $75 for General Admission + Photo, which includes a professional photo with Daymond John, and $20 for WCSU student General Admission + Photo tickets. All participants must reserve a ticket to this special event. The evening is made possible through the generosity of the Macricostas Family Foundation.

Besides founding one of the first hip-hop culture lifestyle brands FUBU, which has eclipsed more than $6 billion in global retail sales, John was a Presidential Ambassador for Global Entrepreneurship and is known as the “The People’s Shark” for his commitment to entrepreneurship. An author of four books, two of which debuted as New York Times best-sellers, one of John’s proudest accomplishments is his continued fight against dyslexia. He has worked with the Yale Center for Dyslexia & Creativity, and currently sits on the advisory board of Understood.org. As a Presidential Ambassador for Global Entrepreneurship, John joined President Obama at the Global Entrepreneur Summit in Kenya in 2015 and accompanied him on his historic trip to Cuba in 2016.

A popular speaker, John’s knowledge and insight have been sought out by Fortune 100 companies and universities alike, as he is known for his high-energy presentations on entrepreneurship, marketing and branding, financial literacy and goal-setting strategies. Anyone can learn something from John, who also serves as CEO of the brand consultancy The Shark Group and developed Daymond on Demand to empower aspiring entrepreneurs to start, build or scale their own businesses. John’s journey from developing and selling streetwear from his mother’s basement in Queens, New York, to top-of-the game branding expert and entrepreneur included several failures and a lot of hard lessons learned, experiences that he passionately shares in his drive to promote and support entrepreneurs of all kinds. His discussion will give valuable insight into how to achieve goals and improve performance, especially during adversity, that will help attendees enjoy a more successful and rewarding life.

Also, as part of this year’s Macricostas Experience, a Macricostas Greek Celebration that showcases Greek culture through music, dance and hospitality will be held from 5:30 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, March 28, in the Higgins Hall Lobby on the Midtown campus, 181 White St., Danbury. Macricostas School of Arts and Sciences Dean Dr. Michelle Brown will share how her students at WCSU have immersed themselves in Greek culture by studying art, cinema and ancient artifacts. Participants will be able to experience the culture themselves through food, dancing and music provided by the Athenian Entertainment Greek Orchestra. Register at https://wcsutickets.regfox.com/macricostas-greek-celebration.

Additionally, the Macricostas Entrepreneur of the Year Breakfast will be held on Wednesday, March 29, at the Ethan Allen Hotel, 21 Lake Ave. Extension in Danbury. At this breakfast, 2020 Entrepreneur of the Year Erik Landegren, founder and owner of Bridgewater Chocolate, and 2022 Entrepreneur of the Year Jonathan Soares, founder of Agency Labs, will be honored. More information and tickets can be found at https://wcsu.edu/giving.

Sponsored by the Macricostas Family Foundation, Macricostas Experiences include a speaker series, student scholarships, student study-abroad funding and more. The event is in honor of local industrialist and philanthropist Constantine (Deno) Macricostas who, with his wife Marie and family, donated more than $4 million to support student scholarship. In appreciation, WCSU named its School of Arts and Sciences in their honor. Today, the Macricostas School of Arts and Sciences houses the largest number of majors, faculty and courses offered.

For more information, contact WCSU Institutional Advancement at (203) 837-9820 and foundationevents@wcsu.edu, or WCSU Public Relations at pr@wcsu.edu.

 

D
Submitted by Danbury, CT

Become a Local Voice in Your Community!

HamletHub invites you to contribute stories, events, and more to keep your neighbors informed and connected.

Read Next