Derrius Quarles facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Derrius Quarles
|
|
|---|---|
Quarles speaking at TED Conference Headquarters in 2017
|
|
| Born |
Derrius L. Quarles
|
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Kenwood Academy Morehouse College (B.A.) University of Pennsylvania (M.S.Ed) |
| Occupation | Entrepreneur, human rights activist, digital marketer, recording artist |
| Known for | Co-Founder of BREAUX Capital and Million Dollar Scholar |
|
Notable work
|
Million Dollar Scholar: Winning The Scholarship Race |
| Spouse(s) | Theodora Okiro Quarles |
| Parent(s) | Dr. Desmond L. Kemp |
Derrius Quarles is an amazing entrepreneur, human rights activist, and author. He grew up on the South Side of Chicago, in the Bronzeville neighborhood. Derrius is known for co-founding two important companies: BREAUX Capital and Million Dollar Scholar. BREAUX Capital is a financial technology company that helps Black men. Million Dollar Scholar is an education company that helps students.
Derrius wrote a helpful book called Million Dollar Scholar: Winning The Scholarship Race. This book is a guide for students looking for scholarships and grants for college. It has helped over 40,000 students around the world. The book even became an Amazon bestseller. News channels like CNN, NBC News, and MTV2 have featured Derrius's work.
In 2013, Derrius was invited to the White House. President Barack Obama gave him the Points of Light Daily Points of Light Award. This award recognized his work helping students through Million Dollar Scholar.
In 2017, Black Enterprise magazine named him one of their 100 Modern Men. He also became an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at TED. As part of this program, Derrius gave a TED Talk. In 2018, Derrius and his company BREAUX Capital were named to Inc. magazine's list of 30 Under 30 companies.
Derrius has traveled across the United States. He gives talks, performs poetry, and leads workshops. He speaks about many topics, including college funding and youth leadership. He has spoken at places like Harvard University and the United Nations. His work has been featured by the Associated Press, HuffPost, Time, and BET.
Million Dollar Scholar: Helping Students
Derrius co-founded Million Dollar Scholar after a big personal achievement. Before graduating from Kenwood Academy High School in 2009, he earned over $1.1 million in scholarships. These included the Gates Millennium Scholars Program, Coca-Cola Scholarship, and Dell Scholarship. An education journalist called him "a million dollar scholar."
Derrius was the first in his family to go to college. He graduated with honors from Morehouse College. There, he studied sociology, biology, and public health.
Derrius and his co-founder, Ras Asan Olugbenga, got early funding for Million Dollar Scholar. They won top prizes in major entrepreneurship competitions. These included contests at the Yale School of Management and the Tavis Smiley Social Innovation Challenge.
So far, Million Dollar Scholar has helped students get over $5.5 million in scholarships and grants. It has positively impacted more than 55,000 students in the United States.
BREAUX Capital: Financial Help
Derrius is also the Co-Founder of BREAUX Capital. This company is the first financial health platform for Black Men. It helps members save money, invest together, and learn about finances. BREAUX Capital has won many awards for its focus on Black men. This group is often overlooked in the financial services industry.
BREAUX Capital serves members in many cities across North America. These cities include Atlanta, Los Angeles, New York City, and Chicago.
Derrius and Ras Asan started BREAUX Capital in 2015. Derrius's research at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education helped build the company. In 2016, BREAUX Capital received a grant from the National Science Foundation. This grant helped them research the financial health of young Black adults. In 2018, Inc. magazine recognized Derrius and Ras Asan. They were praised for their new way of helping Black men save money for the future.
Books
- Million Dollar Scholar: Winning The Scholarship Race (2012) ISBN: 978-1257647347
