We had the good fortune of connecting with Fred Underwood and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Fred, where are your from? We’d love to hear about how your background has played a role in who you are today?
I’m a military brat. I was born in Georgia (stayed for 4 years), moved to Texas (stayed for 4 years), moved to Germany (stayed for 4 years) and finally my dad retired and I moved to Alabama where my family is originally from. Living in Europe was a very unique experience because I have memories of going to countries that many young black kids typically don’t have opportunities to visit. I am forever grateful for my Dad for sacrificing and going to the military which provided me those opportunities. Moving around helped me experience different cultures and diverse sets of people. It also taught me to be able to adapt in new environments. I learned to go in to new environments and be perfectly fine with being myself while interacting with others.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
It all began with me missing out on the opportunity to play basketball as a walk on at University of Alabama Birmingham due to my grades after playing at Junior College. I didn’t take the right classes and it caused me to not be eligible. I decided to strictly focus on academics and graduated with a Business Degree from Alabama State University. During my senior year is when Dream Big Sports was birthed. It began as a nonprofit with my best friend to bridge the gap between athletes and the professionals that made it. We focused on how to prepare them not only athletically but academically and mentally. We went on to host camps that produced many D1 athletes and Summer Leagues that had appearances from many professional athletes with NBA and Top European league experience! While doing this, I secured an opportunity to introduced into the tech space and become a business consultant with Fortune 50 company AT&T. I began to see the similarities of being a small business and an athlete building their brands. I feel all athletes should look at themselves as businesses/brands. This led to the current state of Dream Big Sports where we help student athletes leverage their personal brands to navigate the Name Image Likeness Landscape. We curate the digital transformation of athletes brands! We help them utilize technology to build cutting-edge business strategies.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I am a member of The Gathering Spot in Atlanta so I would start there to show the essence of Atlanta where Black Excellence is common. THE GATHERING SPOT is an innovative private members only club. It is a co working space that has events where you can eat drink and hear good music. Depending on the time of the year we would go to a sporting event by the Braves, Hawks or Falcons. Then because I enjoy having fun and being competitive, last we would cap the night off with The Painted Duck in Midtown.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My wife, Jasmine, deserves an immense amount of credit for supporting me through every step of my journey! In every aspect she has loved, encouraged, and stepped in to help however she can. My mom, Doris, has been a huge influence on instilling in me the work ethic to strive to do great things! She laid the foundation for my faith in God and gratitude mindset that is essential to my success. Lastly, I have always been motivated throughout my journey to set a positive example to Dream Big for my two younger sisters, Denesha & Nyeesha, and my three beautiful daughters, Kylee, Karter, & Yari. I am surrounded by a support system of special females in my life and I will forever be thankful for them!

Website: www.dbsports.tech

Instagram: @dreambigfred

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fredunderw00d/

Twitter: @dreambigfred

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/fredunderwood22

Image Credits
Check Point Digital – Felix Baker

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