Johnnie has come a long way from being a cart boy at the local grocery store. In high school, he used the money he earned to fund a startup clothing line. A student of Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE), he created a clothing line called Fresh Connection Brand. He’s worked with NBA Superstar Dwyane Wade, as well as Microsoft YouthSpark and NFTE on collaborative brand and apparel projects. In addition to his love for fashion, advertising found a place in Johnnie’s heart. He is the inaugural recipient of Bill Sharp’s The Future of Advertising award and now an Assistant Strategic Planner for Commonground Marketing, an emerging ad firm in Chicago, IL. He leads internal efforts for uncovering the current market and consumer trends and helps drive consumer insight and nuance.
