John Henry is only 26 but his business story could span three lifetimes. He's the son of Dominican immigrants. He grew up below the poverty line in New York City’s Washington Heights neighborhood. At 18 he worked as a doorman in a luxury building in Brooklyn. While working as a doorman he started a dry cleaning business. Within 3 years his business was making $100,000 a month in revenue. At the age of 21, he sold the business for $1 million and started the first business incubator in Harlem called Cofound Harlem.
After making a name for himself in the city, he was offered a podcast deal, and then a TV deal for his own show on Vice called “Hustle”. He parlayed that into a brand endorsement deal with Cadillac.
After starting Cofound Harlem he decided he wanted to dive into the world of Venture Capital. He joined forces with three other young entrepreneurs and became a partner in Harlem Capital. Harlem Capital Partners is a $25 million Venture Capital firm owned and operated by four men of color under the age of 30.
The fund plans to invest in 1,000 minority and women founders over the next 20 years. All four of the partners are on the most recent Forbes 30 under 30 list.
In EYL #45, John walked us through his incredible journey. He told us the story of his first business, he explained in detail the inner workings of the V.C. world, he explained the steps to set up a Venture Capital fund, he detailed how TV deals are structured and he outlined the current market place for brand partnerships and media opportunities.
