CONFERENCE SPEAKERS
Earvin "Magic" Johnson
NBA Hall of Famer of the Los Angeles Lakers & Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, Magic Johnson Enterprises
Earvin "Magic" Johnson has had a legendary basketball career that has spanned over three decades. As a young man growing up in Michigan, he led Everett High School to the State Championship in 1977. He later went on to lead the Michigan State University basketball team to the National Championship in 1979. Soon following that, he was the first overall pick in the 1979 draft, joining the Los Angeles Lakers. Johnson would go on to spend his entire impressive basketball career playing for the Lakers, winning five NBA Championships and earning numerous honors. He is a three time NBA Finals MVP, twelve time NBA All Star, two time NBA All Star MVP and has been selected nine times for the All NBA First Team. As part of the 1992 Summer Olympics Johnson was part of the "Dream Team" that went on to win the Olympic Gold Medal against Croatia. He was voted as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002 as a player and in 2010 as a member of the "Dream Team".
Off the court, Earvin "Magic" Johnson has become the most powerful African-American businessman in the world. As Chairman and CEO of Magic Johnson Enterprises, he has built his business empire over a span of 30 years and now has the #1 brand in Urban America. Some of his business portfolio highlights include: Los Angeles Dodgers, Major League Baseball Owner, Los Angeles Sparks, Women's National Basketball Association Owner, ASPiRE, a new TV network, Yucaipa Johnson, a $500 million dollar private equity fund, MAGIC Workforce Solutions, a staffing company, SodexoMAGIC, a food service and facilities management company with over 31 major accounts nationwide, including the American Airlines Admiral Clubs and Toyota, Magic Johnson Bridgescape Academies, a dropout prevention and recovery program with over 17 locations to help students achieve their H.S. diplomas and Clear Health Alliance, a Medicare/Medicaid healthcare provider with a specialty plan that covers HIV/AIDS patients.
In addition to his outstanding careers in both basketball and business, he has taken the time to give back to some of the communities that need it the most. His philanthropic arm, the Magic Johnson Foundation has become one of the most recognizable charitable organizations in the world. They currently have: 160 students on scholarship through their Taylor Michaels Scholarship Program, 18 empowerment centers that's helping to bridge the digital divide, five HIV/AIDS Clinics assisting all patients regardless of their ability to pay and have tested over 40,000 individuals. With a worldwide presence, Mr. Johnson is committed to bringing jobs and brand-named businesses to underserved communities.
