Born and bred on the south-side of Chicago, Derrius is a 13-year alumnus of foster care who secured over one million dollars in scholarship awards before entering Morehouse College as first generation student, where he graduated cum laude.

 An award-winning entrepreneur and author, he is the Founder and CEO of Million Dollar Scholar, Founding Partner of Gentlemen Ventures, and Founding Partner/CEO of Breaux Capital.

His work has been highlighted by the Associated Press, Huffington Post, CNN, and Time amongst others. He lives in NYC and is currently pursuing a Masters degree in Education Entrepreneurship at the University of Pennsylvania and writing his second book, Be.