Hezekiah Griggs

Hezekiah Griggs III (October 27, 1988 – December 22, 2016) was an American entrepreneur, philanthropist, and investor. He was the founder and managing partner of H360Capital, an early-stage venture capital firm, making him the youngest African-American venture capitalist.[1][2] Griggs was also a college lecturer and motivational speaker.[3]

Hezekiah Griggs III
Born(1988-10-27)October 27, 1988
Passaic, New Jersey, U.S.
DiedDecember 22, 2016(2016-12-22) (aged 28)
Jacksonville, Florida, U.S.
OccupationEntrepreneur
Investor

In 2011, Griggs was recognized by the White House for his philanthropy and public-private partnerships with urban communities.[4] He was named a 'Legend in the Making' at the 55th anniversary of the Montgomery bus boycott.[5]

Griggs died at age 28 in a car accident.

Early life

Griggs was born and raised in Passaic, New Jersey. He attended and played sports at Passaic High School.[6] He grew up in a single-parent household while facing the conflicts of inner-city poverty. He often attributed his humble beginnings as a major factor in his entrepreneurial mindset.[7]

By age twelve, Griggs had started several small businesses. He started publishing magazines shortly before attending high school. He has been referred to as "America's Youngest Media Mogul,' after developing an umbrella corporation, HG3media, that published several free magazines for teens.[8] Although Griggs had a lot of success as a teenager, he also experienced business failures. In an interview with Black Enterprise magazine, he asserted, "Failure is valuable",[9] and continued creating businesses until his early twenties.

H360 Capital

Griggs founded H360capital after noticing the plight of minority (specifically African-American) entrepreneurs seeking funding.[10] In his role as managing partner, he led the partner operations and investment strategy of the firm. The firm committed to raising a $100 million fund[11] when Griggs officially announced its launch. Griggs also led a multimillion-dollar public-private partnership initiative launched by the firm with urban cities and public institutions.[12]

Other projects

Griggs was the Chief Ambassador for Ambassadors for Leadership an organization that he founded to help train, develop, and mentor youth.[13] The organization actively engages youth in urban cities, with Griggs participating in anti-violence initiatives and public events.[14]

Griggs was one of twenty entrepreneurs featured in the cult entrepreneur-focused documentary, The Y.E.S. Movie.[15] A prominent African-American businessman, Griggs was often rumored to be associated with many major projects and initiatives in the African-American community.[16]

Griggs was a major proponent for mentorship as he actively mentored athletes, celebrities, and youth.[17]

Griggs participated in a panel discussion with Ralph Nader and Cornel West.[18]

In 2012, Griggs served as a judge in the NYC Pitchfest.[19]

Death

Griggs was killed on Thursday, December 22, 2016, in an early morning accident on Interstate 95 in Jacksonville, Florida.[20] A crash report said he died when his Mercedes was hit by a tractor-trailer about 12:30 am. His car was parked in the safety zone between the right lane of the interstate and the exit ramp to Old St. Augustine Road. The driver of the tractor trailer told state troopers he was in the exit lane but tried to merge onto the interstate when he hit the rear of Griggs' car. Griggs died at the scene.

References
  1. OurTime.org, 'Buy Young' White House Event.
  2. Blackweb2.0, Hezekiah Griggs announces new venture capital firm.
  3. Key Speakers Bio
  4. WhiteHouse.gov, Young Business Entrepreneurs visit White House.
  5. ABC News, 55 Years after Rosa Parks made history.
  6. My9nj.com Archived 2014-08-26 at the Wayback Machine, Self-made man.
  7. Sentinel Tribune, Newspaper article.
  8. Indiana University MLK News ReleaseJournalism Matters, Create or Die 2.
  9. Black Enterprise 5 Steps to creating your profitable tech start-up August 30, 2011.
  10. Techcrunch.com, The search for minority entrepreneurs is over.
  11. Galvanizing Innovation and Capital The Huffington Post. April 20, 2011.
  12. Rutgers and NJIT partnership with H360 Capital
  13. Ambassadors for Leadership, the official website of Ambassadors for Leadership.
  14. Newark Star-Ledger. Shoot Hoops not Guns
  15. The Yes Movie. Young Entrepreneur Society 2009.
  16. HipHopDX Jay-z, Alicia Keys, Pharrell New Website
  17. Philadelphia Tribune Dream Project Mentors to Youth
  18. Florida A&M University State of the Black Student March 28, 2010.
  19. Upstart Biz Journal. New York Pitchfest
  20. "Passaic native killed in Fla. accident to be honored by city". North Jersey. 28 December 2016. Retrieved 2018-02-15.
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