Derrius Quarles facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Derrius Quarles
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Quarles speaking at TED Conference Headquarters in 2017
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Derrius L. Quarles
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| 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 |
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Notable work
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Million Dollar Scholar: Winning The Scholarship Race |
| Spouse(s) | Theodora Okiro Quarles |
| Parent(s) | Dr. Desmond L. Kemp |
Derrius Quarles is an entrepreneur, which means he starts and runs businesses. He is also a human rights activist, a recording artist, a product designer, and an author. Derrius was born in Chicago, Illinois, in a neighborhood called Bronzeville. He is known for co-founding two important companies: BREAUX Capital, a financial technology company that helps Black men, and Million Dollar Scholar, which is an education company. He also founded DQ and Partners.
Derrius wrote a book called Million Dollar Scholar: Winning The Scholarship Race. This book helps students find scholarships and grants to pay for college. Over 40,000 students around the world have used his book to make college more affordable. His book even became a bestseller on Amazon in education categories. News channels like CNN, NBC News, and MTV2 have featured Derrius because of his work helping students get into college.
In 2013, Derrius was invited to the White House. There, he received the Points of Light Daily Points of Light Award from President Barack Obama. He earned this award for his work in education with Million Dollar Scholar.
In 2017, Black Enterprise magazine included him on their list of 100 Modern Men. He was also named an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at TED, which is a famous conference where people share ideas. As part of this program, Derrius gave a TED Talk titled "How banks are failing African-Americans." In 2018, Derrius Quarles and his company BREAUX Capital were recognized by Inc. magazine on their list of 30 Under 30 companies.
Derrius has traveled to over 30 states in the U.S. to give speeches, perform poetry, join discussions, and lead workshops. He talks about many topics, including race and Black culture, how to pay for college, developing leadership skills in young people, how social justice and business can work together, managing money well, and helping children in the welfare system. He has been a main speaker at big organizations and places like Harvard University, the United Nations, and the American College of Financial Services. His work as an activist and innovator has been featured by news groups like the Associated Press, HuffPost, Time magazine, and BET.
Contents
Million Dollar Scholar: Helping Students Pay for College
Derrius Quarles co-founded Million Dollar Scholar after he received many scholarships himself. Before he graduated from Kenwood Academy High School in 2009, he earned over $1.1 million in scholarship money. He was called "a million dollar scholar" by a journalist from the Chicago Tribune. Derrius was the first person in his family to go to college. He went to Morehouse College and graduated with honors.
While at Morehouse, Derrius studied sociology, biology, and public health. He wrote a special paper about the U.S. child welfare system and how it affects Black foster youth. Derrius and his co-founder, Ras Asan Olugbenga, got most of the early money for Million Dollar Scholar by winning big entrepreneurship competitions. These included contests at the Yale School of Management, the Tavis Smiley Social Innovation Challenge, and Miller Lite's Tap the Future Competition. So far, Million Dollar Scholar has helped students get over $5.5 million in scholarships and grants for college. It has helped more than 55,000 low-income students in the United States.
BREAUX Capital: Financial Help for Black Men
Derrius is also the co-founder of BREAUX Capital. This company is the first financial health platform and community specifically for Black Men. It gives Black Men a place where they can save money together, invest as a group, and learn about money from each other. BREAUX Capital has won many awards because it focuses on Black Men, a group that is often overlooked in the financial world. The company has members in many cities across North America, including Atlanta, Los Angeles, New York City, Chicago, and Washington DC.
BREAUX Capital started in 2015 after Derrius and Ras Asan had a conversation. The company is based on research Derrius did while studying at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education. In May 2016, BREAUX Capital received a grant from the National Science Foundation. This grant helped them research how Black millennials manage their money and what affects their financial health. In April 2018, Inc. magazine recognized Derrius and Ras Asan on their 30 Under 30 list. They highlighted the company's new way of helping Black male millennials save money for their future.
Books
- Million Dollar Scholar: Winning The Scholarship Race (2012) ISBN: 978-1257647347
Images for kids
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Quarles speaking at TED Conference Headquarters in 2017
