Derrius Quarles

Derrius was born on Chicago’s South Side as the Grandson of a Mississippi sharecropper and Great Migration participant. Derrius is a 13 year foster care survivor, traversing four foster homes, welfare, and public housing through childhood. These experiences meant Derrius grew up with a keen understanding of how poverty, income inequality, and social disenfranchisement impact lives. From an early age, he asked deep sociological questions and envisioned a life of significance for himself.

As an author, social entrepreneur, digital marketer, investor, and thought leader, Derrius has nurtured a diverse set of talents to advance a culture of health globally. His first book, Million Dollar Scholar: Winning The Scholarship Race has assisted thousands of students across the globe increase their knowledge of how to make higher education more affordable. He is the Co-Founder and Co-CEO of BREAUX Capital – a financial technology company that is helping Black Men pool their funds in community with one another to invest collectively and create intergenerational wealth. Across his BREAUX and Company investment portfolio,  his business ventures have collectively impacted the lives of over 25,000 marginalized families in America. 

Coined a “financial prodigy” by The New York Times and his work has been covered by prominent international media outlets including The Associated Press, Black Enterprise, and CNN.Derrius was recently named to Inc. Magazine’s 30 Under 30 innovators list and he delivered a TED Talk at TED Headquarters to propose a new model for addressing financial wellness in communities that have been traumatized by racism in the financial service industry.