Retail And Sneaker Industry Leaders James Whitner And Kris Wright To Visit Texas Southern Student-Athletes On Monday, October 2

Kris Wright, Vice President of Footwear at Jordan Brand, and James Whitner, Owner and Founder of the Whitaker Group – the renowned sneaker and fashion experiential company behind A Ma Maniére, Social Status, APB and Prosper, will be in attendance at Texas Southern University on Monday, Oct. 24 at noon in the Roderick R. Paige Education Building Auditorium for a Q&A session with Texas Southern student-athletes.

Mr. Wright and Mr. Whitner are both members of the SWAC Advisory Board, which brought this session on to campus, and they will speak in an open forum format to offer advice to TSU’s student-athletes based on their backgrounds, paths to entrepreneurship, and available career opportunities in the world of business. This marks the first time that both icons in the fashion and shoe industry will appear together in the same setting on a university campus. The session format is built on the Free Game platform which Mr. Whitner has hosted across the country, dedicating time to have open, honest conversations about society’s key issues and sharing knowledge to help uplift and help those anyone seeking guidance and advice.

“We are honored to welcome both James Whitner and Kris Wright to Texas Southern,” said Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Dr. Kevin Granger. “Our student-athletes have an opportunity to soak in knowledge from two of the brightest minds in the fashion and sneaker industry in a one-on-one setting. Both James and Kris are mainstream influencers who’ve worked their way up the ranks and have collaborated with some of the brightest minds across the world. Both individuals are very successful as their stories should resonate well with our student-athletes.”

JAMES WHITNER
A native of Pittsburgh, Pa., Whitner graduated from Edinboro University with honors in Business Administration in 2003. An entrepreneur from a young age, Whitner started in real estate before moving on to the sneaker and fashion industry with the opening of his first boutique store in Charlotte, N.C. Since the opening of his initial Social Status store, Whitner’s retail brand has grown to 19 locations across the country. One of his concepts, A Ma Maniére Eats, is located in Houston on 3300 Kirby Drive, and is continuing to expand with additional brands which will incorporate both luxury fashion, fine dining and hospitality under one roof.     
      
Whitner also is the owner and founder of The Whitaker Group, which acts as the consulting, creative, and design arm for the retail business and other entrepreneurial endeavors. The group has formed key partnerships across the industry, including Nike and Jordan Brand while also serving as a catalyst in various communities across the nation. Whitner is also an aspiring art collector and curator whose mission is to support and share the work of rising Black and Brown artists.

KRIS WRIGHT
Wright is a senior leader in the Consumer Products Industry with more than 20 years of innovative, growth-oriented, results-driven leadership experience.

An HBCU alum from Clark-Atlanta University with a degree in Business Administration AND Marketing in 1998, Wright helped launched S. Carter and G. Unit Collections at Reebok while working with music superstars Jay-Z and 50 Cent before venturing out on his own with the launch of his own company, Jhung Hero, which was inspired by his affinity for travel.  
                 
Wright was recruited to join the Nike family following his success at Jhung Hero and ascended the ladder as he began working with Jordan Brand before moving on to Converse as its Senior Director of Global Kid’s Footwear. He transitioned back to Nike in 2016 before assuming the role of Vice President for Global Footwear in 2018. In 2021, Wright was named Vice President of Jordan Footwear.

In October 2020, Kris was recognized by Business Insider as one of 28 Outstanding People of Color in the Sneaker Industry. Additionally, Kris is an appointed member of the Executive Leadership Council, a national organization of Black CEOs and senior executives in Fortune 1000 and Global 500 companies. He was named in 2021 to the Board of LiveXLive Media, a global platform for livestream and on-demand audio, video and podcast/vodcast content in music, comedy, and pop culture.

Wright has also expanded his formal education with the admission and completion of the highly selective Harvard Business School, High Potentials Leadership Program.