Derrick Brown is an investor and connector specializing in growth opportunities at the intersection of the venture capital, franchisor and private equity worlds. Brown graduated with a dual degree in Marketing and Entrepreneurial Studies from Xavier University. He also has an MBA degree from Wake Forest University. Brown was selected by the Charlotte Hornets in the National Basketball Association Draft, setting off an 11-year career spanning tenures in both the NBA and the Euroleague.
His next move was to serve as the Vice President of ELPA (Euroleague Players’ Association) headquartered in Barcelona, Spain, which allowed for a seamless transition to his current leadership role as President and co-founder of Free Fenix, LLC., where Brown and his team have acquired ownership interests in the fast-growing companies Duck Donuts, Salata Salad Kitchen and Hustle House Fitness. His latest venture is Founder and President of FreeSpade which is building an ecosystem connecting industry leaders to connect, grow and thrive.
Derrick’s focus, since his days as a professional athlete, has been trained on continuing to build and grow his potential as a businessman and a marketplace visionary, including successful investments in publicly traded and privately held (pre-IPO) venture backed companies Facebook, Uber, Beyond Meat and several others. Much like with his playing days, Derrick is true to Charlotte, but continues to see the business world through a global lens.
