Today we’d like to introduce you to Brandon A. Okpalobi.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I was fresh off the court from the University of Miami when he was offered an opportunity for a business development assistantship with the Orange Bowl Committee. The role offered me, a computer information system graduate, a jump-start to a promising career in the sports industry. The experience was valuable and was eager to pursue more innovative approaches to athletic training. So, I channeled my competitive drive and went to work.
I started DIBIA Athletic Development in 2011, which provides dynamic sports and skills enrichment programs to prepare athletes for life on and off the court (DIBIA means “master of knowledge/wisdom” in Igbo, a West African Dialect). I have taken the principles he learned growing up in New Orleans as a first generation Nigerian American to all areas of his life.
My father emphasized the importance of independence and instilled a sense of confidence in me. My mother, a New Orleans native, taught me killer negotiation tactics, infused with warm southern hospitality that has served him well as an entrepreneur.
DIBIA Athletic hosts camps and clinics in Miami, New Orleans, and Bermuda, with plans to launch other international sites. Our Non-profit Dibia DREAM serves over 300 kids in Miami and New Orleans. Much like an athlete, being an entrepreneur means a lot of preparation and hustle. Beyond the radio and magazine interviews, and seemingly glamorous lifestyle, every day is game day as an entrepreneur.
DIBIA Athletic was developed in 2011. DIBIA was birthed out of the frustration of working for others who lacked vision and the strength to be innovative. I am thankful for every job I had before starting my own business because each one provided me great lessons, taught me management and customer relation skills, and illustrated what it means to be a global company.
Dibia DREAM was developed in 2014. DREAM was created because I noticed the untended need for life skills instruction in the underserved communities. Every child deserves an equal opportunity to be successful and to be great. Too often and beyond their control, children are victims of low educational standards, lack of exposure and are being taught by teachers who are not vested in their development.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
NOT AT ALL!
The glamorous side of being an entrepreneur can be very deceiving. People only see the flexibility of your work hours, the awards, events, and other accolades. What they do not see are the sleepless nights, lost relationships, the struggle to prove that your business is credible, and most of all, the stress.
Some people tell me that they want to be me when they grow up. They probably would not want to be me on my worst day. Being an entrepreneur takes hard work, dedication, tough skin, desire, persistence, and an unwavering belief in yourself. I have pulled countless all-nighters to make sure events were pulled together, an idea was vetted, or website content was perfect.
Most people think entrepreneurs wake up at 11 am and relax in their home office and that money just comes in. I serve as the owner and employee for every position for both DIBIA Athletic and Dibia DREAM. As entrepreneurs, we do all of the jobs for a company until we are able to (hopefully) bring in other staff to help with those functions.
Now don’t get me wrong, I love every minute of it. But it hasn’t all been easy and I’m glad it hasn’t because it allowed me to become stronger and see who was really there to support my dream.
Please tell us about DIBIA Athletic Development and Dibia DREAM, Inc.
DIBIA Athletic Development promotes excellence. Our mission is to provide dynamic, state of the art sports and life skills enrichment programs designed to train and strengthen the mind, body, and soul of the competitive athlete and prepare them for the most advanced level of play on the court, field, and in life.
DIBIA provides elite sports training for athletes to develop fundamental skills through detailed analysis of individual skills, innovative drills, and dynamic instruction. Our intense training program is designed for boys and girls, ranging from age 7 to professional athletes. DIBIA trains athletes worldwide and hosts camps/clinics in Miami, New Orleans, LA, Bermuda, Bahamas, Latin America* and Nigeria*.
DREAM is a community outreach initiative that harnesses the preexisting motivational foundation in youth. Our team helps young people bridge their desire for excellence, leadership, and sports and in the process develop a lifelong core value systems. DREAM translates the skills that are required to win in sports into skills that are required to win at life. We operate programs in schools in both Miami and New Orleans with plans to expand elsewhere in the country. We impact youth through the DREAM Academy, DREAM Scholars, Summer of DREAMS, STEM Saturdays and other partnership programs.
I’m most proud that DIBIA has been able to impact youth globally and birth an amazing program called DREAM that I believe has finally shown me my purpose and impacts youth on a global education level.
Our work ethic, creativity, passion for our work and how we engage youth through different mediums sets us apart.
As a young CEO, I work to unlock youth potential through sports. I moved to Miami to attend the University of Miami and walked on to the Division 1 basketball team. I earned a full scholarship and was later elected team captain. After graduation, I combined my business education and passion for sports to start my organizations.
My commitment to developing young people is founded on my childhood experience. I was once a lost young boy that was kicked out of Catholic school in the 2nd grade. After transferring to a creative arts school, I channeled my negative energy into art. I thrived there and was no longer deemed a statistic. As a result, I’m passionate about changing the narrative and building asset spaces for youth to thrive.
I founded DREAM because there is a lack of opportunities in schools/ communities which puts youth at risk for under-performance or future criminal behaviors. DREAM currently exposes underserved youth to afterschool and weekend programs to address this issue.
Also, in 2007, my dad took me to Nigeria where he built a community center. I saw the impact and realized that I need to give back. Today, DREAM has exposed 4,000+ youth to life-changing experiences.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
Probably my favorite memory from childhood is going to Mardi Gras parades with my mom and trying to catch every bead. There is no better time than Mardi Gras/Carnival time in New Orleans. Everyone is so happy. We missed school, parents were off work, the city shut down, unlimited king cake and just letting the good times roll.
Contact Info:
- Address: 66 NE 39th Street #176 Miami, FL 33137
- Website: www.dibiaathletic.com and www.dibiadream.org
- Phone: 7865438826
- Email: info@dibiaathletic.com & educate@dibiadream.org
Image Credit:
Nesby Phips, Adrian Freeman, Aj Shorter, Dante Fillyau
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