Derrius Quarles
Derrius Quarles | |
|---|---|
 Quarles in 2016 speaking at the United Nations Youth Conference | |
| Born | Derrius Quarles |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Morehouse College (B.A.) University of Pennsylvania (M.S.Ed, 2017) |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur; author; speaker; consultant |
| Website | Derrius Quarles Website |
Derrius Quarles is an entrepreneur, author, speaker and consultant.[1][2] Born on the south side of Chicago (1990), he is the co-founder and CEO of Million Dollar Scholar,[3] an education services company that provides guidance to college-bound high school students who are seeking scholarships and grants to pursue higher education.[4][5] The company has a business model in which education non-profits that already work with disadvantaged and underrepresented students to provide college preparation are partnered with and given an allotment of free advising. In 2013, Quarles was invited to the White House, where he was awarded the Points of Light Daily Point of Light Award[6][7] for his work with Million Dollar Scholar. Quarles has been a speaker on the topics of funding college and higher education, youth development, social entrepreneurship, financial wellness, child welfare advocacy, and black male achievement at various venues including Harvard University, the United Nations, and TEDx.
Million Dollar Scholar
Quarles co-founded Million Dollar Scholar after securing over 1.1 million dollars in scholarship awards before graduating from Kenwood Academy High School in 2009 and being coined "a million dollar scholar" by Stephanie Banchero in the Chicago Tribune.[8] As a first generation college student, he went on to attend and graduate cum laude from Morehouse College, where during his studies in sociology and biology he wrote MillionDollarScholar: Winning The Scholarship Race,[9][10] a guide for students seeking to gain scholarships and grants for college.
Entrepreneurial activities
Beyond Million Dollar Scholar, Derrius’ entrepreneurial pursuits include being the Founder of DQ & Partners, a brand strategy firm that assist solopreneurs and very early-stage companies in brand and business development, and the Co-Founder and CTO of Breaux Capital, the first fintech startup for Black male millennials[11] which was founded as a part of his capstone work while studying education entrepreneurship at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education.[12]
Books
- "Million Dollar Scholar: Winning The Scholarship Race" (2012) ISBN 978-1257647347
- "Becoming The Million Dollar Scholar: How I Overcame Foster Care To Gain Over $1 Million Dollars In Scholarships and What It Can Teach You" (2017)
References
- ^ Carpenter, John (July 28, 2014) "Chicago native makes scholarship his business". Chicago Tribune. http://www.chicagotribune.com/bluesky/originals/chi-derrius-quarles-million-dollar-scholar-bsi-ngux-story.html
- ^ Clinton, Chelsea (April 12, 2013) "Four Myths About Millennials". TIME. http://www.ideas.time.com/2013/04/12/four-myths-about-millennials//
- ^ http://www.facebook.com/milliondollarscholar
- ^ NBC News (December 18, 2015) http://www.nbcnews.com/feature/freshman-year/video/how-a-high-school-student-won-more-than-1-million-in-college-scholarships-588258883658
- ^ Rosenberg, Tina (September 11, 2015). New York Times. http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/09/11/for-students-with-a-mission-a-little-capital-goes-a-long-way/
- ^ Tinuoye, Kunbi (July 16, 2013). "Morehouse College graduate recognized by the White House for service to the community". The Grio. http://thegrio.com/2013/07/16/morehouse-graduate-recognized-by-the-white-house-for-service-to-community/
- ^ Favole, Jared (July 15, 2013). "Obama, Bush Families Honor Volunteers".The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 18 July 2013.
- ^ Banchero, Stephanie (October 4, 2009). "Former foster child in Chicago now a million dollar scholar". Chicago Tribune. http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2009-10-04/news/0910030175_1_gates-millennium-scholarship-million-dollar-horatio-alger/2
- ^ https://books.google.com/books?id=wihPAwAAQBAJ&pg=PR3&dq=%22Derrius+Quarles%22&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiU0q3U58bMAhVBpR4KHb3yCAwQ6AEIHTAA#v=onepage&q=%22Derrius%20Quarles%22&f=false
- ^ CNN (June 7, 2012). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRncdCpc0Cc
- ^ http://www.breauxcapital.com
- ^ Kurshan, Barbara (Jan 21, 2016). "Degree Programs for Emerging Entrepreneurs in the Education Innovation Ecosystem. Forbes. "http://www.forbes.com/sites/barbarakurshan/2016/01/21/degree-programs-for-emerging-entrepreneurs-in-the-education-innovation-ecosystem/#7cca9c323290