Week 3: Business Excellence

Cannon Community

This week’s Cannon interviewee is Dara Tokumboh; she is a Cannon alumni of the class of 2015. He graduated from Shaw University and is currently attending Lenoir - Rhyne for his MBA. We talked to him about his time at Cannon and his business journey

Image of Dara Tokumboh
  1. Tell us when you graduated from Cannon and what you decided to major in?
    • Graduated in 2015
    • Majored in computer science at Shaw University
    • Attending Lenoir Rhyne for his MBA; graduates this May
  2. How did you get your idea for the business?
    • Enjoys cooking
    • Business is called King Crabby Daddy and sells seafood
    • Got the idea during the pandemic
  3. Reflecting back on your Cannon experience, what was the biggest obstacle you had overcome?
    • Fitting in with other students
    • Hard to connect with others because he came from NJ
    • Grew a bond with other black students because of the creation of black affinity
    • During his freshman year, the senior prank was hanging black barbie dolls outside of Mr. Jean’s room (black male teacher) and white barbie dolls were all over the rest of the school
  4. As an black entrepreneur, what struggles have you faced to get your business running?
    • Getting it running was the easy part
    • Biggest struggle was people who did not want to see him succeed
    • His biggest business allies include:
      • Social media
      • charisma
      • Word of mouth

Click the image for the audio of Dante's interview!

Click the image below to support Dante's business via Instagram

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Business Spotlight

This week’s business spotlight is Moir Donelson; he graduated from Harvard Business School. Since then, he has worked for and led various companies. We discussed his many business achievements and his interesting family history.

image of Moir Doenelson
  1. Tell us about yourself and your business achievements?
    • Grew up in Southside of Chicago
    • Graduate of West Point
    • Spent 4 years in the Army
    • Graduate of Harvard Business School
    • Business Achievments include:
      • 3 years at Motorolla
      • business consultant at Bain & Company
      • Head of Global Marketing at Alcoa Aluminum Company
      • Head of Strategy VP at Business Planning at Winchester and Ammunition
      • Leader at an Oscar-Mayer plant
      • President of Devro (a sausage casing company)
  2. Can you share your family history as it may relate to Black History Month?
    • Father’s side: Great Great Grandfather was Andrew Jackson Donelson. He was Andrew Jackson’s nephew (by marriage)!
      • Andrew Jackson Donelson had a slave named Bessie
      • Bessie and AJD had a son named Franklin Donelson who fought in the Confederacy during the Civil War
      • Franklin passed as a white man and warned the black community about lynchings
      • Related to Fort Donelson
  3. As a Businessman where do you think the most strides have been made in racial equality in the workplace?
    • We can now have black CEOs, quarterbacks, and a president
    • Seeing African-American men and women as people in power is an accomplishment

Click Andrew Jackson Donelson's image for the audio of Moir Donelson's interview!

Discussion Questions:

  1. Why is it important to acknowledge black history? (ex: Moir Donelson is related to Andrew Jackson)
  2. What are your thoughts on the Senior prank?
  3. Where do you think the most strides have been made in racial equality?