Tristan Walker (entrepreneur) facts for kids

Tristan Walker is an American business leader and CEO. He is best known for starting a company called Walker & Company in 2013. This company was later bought by a big company named Procter & Gamble. Besides leading Walker & Company, Tristan Walker is also on the board of directors for popular companies like Shake Shack and Foot Locker. He also helped start a non-profit group called CODE2040. This group helps connect talented people of color with engineering internships.

Early Life and School

Tristan Walker grew up in Queens, New York. He lived with his mother and older brother. His father passed away when Tristan was only three years old. His mother wanted a safe and bright future for her children. She made sure they focused on school and managed their free time carefully.

Tristan earned a scholarship to attend the Hotchkiss School, a special boarding school. He graduated from Hotchkiss in 2002. After that, he studied economics at SUNY Stony Brook University and finished in 2005. During his college years, he got an internship at Lehman Brothers, a financial company. He later worked as a trader there. In 2008, he was laid off from his trading job at J.P. Morgan. That same year, he went to Stanford Graduate School of Business to continue his education.

Building a Career

Before starting his own companies, Tristan Walker gained experience at several well-known places. He had internships at Twitter and Boston Consulting Group. Later, he became the third employee at Foursquare, where he helped develop their business.

In 2012, Tristan worked as an "Entrepreneur-in-residence" at Andreessen Horowitz. This means he was a special advisor helping new companies at this investment firm. While there, he co-founded two important ventures: CODE2040 and Walker & Co.

Walker & Co. became the parent company for Bevel. Bevel is a grooming brand for men. Its first popular products were a special razor and an electric trimmer. Over time, Bevel grew into a full beauty and skincare company for men. This health and hygiene company was created specifically to serve people of color.

By 2015, Tristan Walker had raised over $33 million for Walker & Co. Famous people like Magic Johnson, John Legend, and Andre Iguodala joined his company's board. In 2015, he was nominated for "Founder of the Year" by TechCrunch. In 2016, TechCrunch wrote that Walker was becoming a very well-known name in Silicon Valley. In 2018, Walker & Co. was sold to Procter & Gamble.

Awards and Recognition

Tristan Walker has received many honors for his work. Fast Company magazine described him as "a bold entrepreneur with a radical startup." The New York Times said that Walker "built a company for the demographic future." In 2019, Fortune magazine listed him as #19 among the world's 50 greatest leaders. USA Today called him "the highest-profile African-American CEO and founder in Silicon Valley." He was also chosen for Time's 100 Next list. Time magazine wrote that Tristan Walker "wants to build more than a company; he wants to build a legacy."

Personal Life

Tristan Walker is married and has two sons.