David Michael Castain II (born August 5, 1988), is an American businessman. He is perhaps best known for leaving a life of crime to later found a marketing firm worth over $5 million by November 2016[1][2] and $8.5 million by 2020.[3]
David Castain | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | August 5, 1988 |
| Education | PhD |
| Occupation(s) | Businessman, life coach, and traveller |
Early life
editDavid was born in Pomona Valley Hospital in Pomona, California to Debra Ross and David Castain Sr.. He joined a gang when he was in the 8th grade for protection within his community. David was kicked out of multiple high schools before attending Valley View High School, a secondary school for students who have behavioral issues or are at risk of not graduating. He ultimately graduated from Alta Loma High School. In 2006 Castain was charged with armed robbery.[4] He decided to attend Howard University when he was serving an 8-month house arrest term following the two years he had already served behind bars.[5]
Career
editCastain began promoting parties while attending Howard University in Washington, DC. He gained national attention after he organized events with Sean Combs, Drake, LeBron James and other celebrities.[6] In 2012 David was hired by Grey Goose where he served as their Director of Social Marketing.[7][8] Following his seventh year of leaving a life of crime, he founded a nonprofit organization, the David Castain Foundation.[9] In May 2013 David graduated from Howard University with a Bachelors in Speech and Applied Communication and a minor in sociology. He was the commencement speaker at his graduation ceremony[citation needed] Upon graduating, he founded a marketing firm dubbed David Castain & Associates. The company obtained clients in various disciplines from Chipotle and Uber to a Berkshire Hathaway subsidiary, Cort Furniture.[10][11] In 2014 he graduated from Georgetown University, where he was the recipient of the Golden Bulldog Award for being the 'Most Creative' student in the program,[12] with a Master's in public relations and corporate communications.[13] Castain returned to his alma mater, Howard University in August of that same year to pursue his Ph.D. in sociology, with a concentration in medical sociology and social inequality.[14][15] Castain is a member of the Kappa Alpha Psi Greek fraternal organization.[16] In 2021, Forbes named him to their Next 1000 list.[17][3] Castain's doctoral thesis studied "Instagram Branding Strategies, Leadership, and Decision-Making Competency in Business Practices Between Millenial and Generation Z Entrepreneurs in the Western United States."[18]
Filmography
edit| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Fox 5 DC | Himself | Episode: "Most Successful Black Entrepreneurs in Washington, DC" |
| 2016 | Ink, Paper, Scissors | BET original series. Episode: "BET Awards Red Carpet 2016"[19] |
References
edit- ^ Bullock, David. "Young and Hungry". Huffington Post. Retrieved 30 November 2016.
- ^ Brown, Tia. "When Cupid Calls". Ebony Magazine. Retrieved 26 March 2015.
- ^ a b "Forbes Next 1000 2021". Forbes. Retrieved 2022-03-09.
- ^ Sholley, Diana. "From poverty to PhD, former Pomona gang member establishes philanthropic foundation". Inland Valley Daily Bulletin. Retrieved 28 May 2015.
- ^ Edmonds, Chloe. "Howard Student's Journey From 'Menace' To Glory". District Chronicles. Retrieved 31 December 2012.
- ^ "Top 30 Under 30 Distinguished HBCU-Educated Scholars". HBCU Buzz. Retrieved 23 August 2016.
- ^ Kormanik, Beth. "Luxury Branding". Biz Bash. Archived from the original on 2 June 2012. Retrieved 1 June 2012.
- ^ "Grey Goose: The proof of social media". Washington City Paper. Retrieved 1 June 2012.
- ^ Umeh, Maureen. "David Castain Talks About His Foundation & The Importance of Education with FOX 5 DC". Fox 5 DC. Retrieved 23 February 2015.
- ^ "David Castain and Associates Company Profile". Data Fox. Archived from the original on 21 December 2016. Retrieved 18 September 2016.
- ^ "David Castain". Forbes. Retrieved 2022-03-09.
- ^ "2014 Golden Bulldog Award Recipient for Most Creative". Georgetown University. Retrieved 8 May 2014.
- ^ "David Castain". Forbes. Retrieved 2022-03-09.
- ^ "David Castain Ph.D. Graduation Speech". YouTube. Retrieved 2024-01-10.
- ^ Barnwell, Devin. "Prominent HU Alum Promotes His Foundation With A Sweet Treat". The Hilltop. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 16 April 2015.
- ^ "Theta Tau Lineage". Theta Tau Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi. Retrieved 8 April 2014.
- ^ "David Castain". Forbes. Retrieved 2022-03-09.
- ^ Castain, David (September 23, 2023). "The Differences in Instagram Branding Strategies, Leadership, and Decision-Making Competency in Business Practices Between Millennial and Generation Z Entrepreneurs in the Western United States - ProQuest". www.proquest.com. Retrieved 2024-09-14.
- ^ "The Cast of Ink Paper Scissors Gets David Castain Ready For The Red Carpet". BET. Archived from the original on September 20, 2016. Retrieved 17 September 2016.