Over the years, we have witnessed amazing entrepreneurs leaving their mark in the entrepreneurial world. Let’s face it, the list of successful male entrepreneurs continues to grow and evolve. There is a number of people in various professions that have gone from new kids on the block to becoming successful entrepreneurs, but this road to success is not always guaranteed. For every successful business, thousands of hopefuls fail. But for those that remain inspired, committed, and passionate, victory is an achievable target. That said, we have compiled a list of twelve successful male entrepreneurs who have accomplished not only success in their chosen field but also changed the world we live in through their innovation and ideas.
12. Rodney Foster
Rodney Foster is the CEO of a multimillion-dollar wine company known as “Edelheiss Wine” – he’s also a famous cast member of the hit TV show “Marrying Millions” which airs on The Lifetime Network.
The idea for Edelheiss Wine came about while he was on a vacation in St. Moritz, Switzerland after attending an event called Polo Snow Cup on Ice. Before he traveled to Switzerland, a colleague previously mentioned to him that he should try a certain wine in Switzerland that they typically serve warm like hot tea or coffee. The second day he was in Switzerland he eventually found a restaurant that serviced this type of wine – it was called a “Mulled Wine.” Rodney has never tasted warm wine before until his first visit to Switzerland so he wasn’t sure how he initially felt about it.
Mulled Wine didn’t really impress Rodney initially, but after the second and third time he tried it – that’s when something clicked. He fell in love with the wine and that’s when he started thinking of ways to bring Mulled Wine into the US soil. He also wanted to create mulled wine but using better ingredients as well as making a more organic version.
The next step was to create a name for this product. A contact Rodney met in Switzerland suggested the name “Edelheiss” – it was supposed to be a twist to the white flower that grows in the Alps of Switzerland and which is called “Edelweiss.” That same contact introduced Rodney to his brother in law who was very knowledgeable about wines. He met the brother in law via Facebook – they immediately clicked and that person eventually became Rodney’s business partner.
His new business partner sent Rodney a family recipe to recreate the wine according to his taste. After much experimentation, Rodney’s mother’s suggestion of adding some peach brandy to the mix took the wine to another level – it became a Fortified Wine which many people can enjoy at just room temperature in a wine glass but then you can also heat it up like a mulled wine and eve make Sangrias with it.
11. James Purpura
Around 17 years ago, James had hit rock bottom – beaten down by life, with shattered self-esteem. His addictions had resulted in jail time. He was financially, emotionally, and spiritually bankrupt. At the lowest point in his life, he met his future wife and business partner, Steph, and together they pursued a vision of becoming more.
Along their journey of personal growth and self-improvement, James and Steph saw an opportunity to disrupt an industry that ironically appeared to be perpetually stuck in the dark ages – the personal development industry. As a rag to riches, a non-formally educated, successful tech founder with a serious interest in philosophy, James recognized the uniqueness of his position to disrupt the personal development industry for the better.
Together, James and Steph felt an urgency to pursue their life mission to inspire individuals to tap into their unlimited potential and push humanity forward through a personalized combination of philosophy, science, technology, and community. They agreed it was time to launch their next venture, Powerful U, The World’s First Personal Evolution Company. James and Steph and their team have published a book, produced an award-winning movie, developed a game-changing personal perception assessment, and launched the Powerful Universe, a global platform for teaching and learning personal evolution. James has built strong international partnerships and an influencer network that already reaches over 50 million followers. Onstage and on camera, James is compelling, authentic, riveting, and has enriched audiences around the world.
10. Tendul Raj
A serial entrepreneur, Tendul Raj is a leading expert in the Bitcoin, Blockchain, and Crypto industries. He is on a personal mission to develop a culture of entrepreneurship, helping start-ups achieve their full potential as well as ] expand existing companies. His overall mission is to foster a society of economically independent individuals who are engaged citizens, contributing to the improvement of their communities across the world. In fact, he has built a career revolutionizing the financing industry across the globe and he currently consults and advises for a range of multi-million dollar companies.
Born and raised in Pondicherry, Tendul’s entrepreneurial journey started when he was 22. Soon after graduating from college, he started planning to start his own company. During the crucial stages of starting his new business, Tendul experienced sleepless nights for several weeks as he worked tirelessly day and night establishing the new company. Finally, after all the struggles and hardships, Nextazy Solutions Pvt Ltd was born. He also decided not to limit Nextazy with just a single vision – he wants Nextazy Solutions to provide blockchain solutions and AI-related services.
Tendul now focuses on the Blockchain industry and offers advice, consulting services, connections to Blockchain experts, and investor relations strategies.
9. Dr. DL Wallace
Dr. DL Wallace is a Soft Skills Training and Development Expert with more than 20 years of experience in employee development, entrepreneurial development, organizational efficiency, and business strategy.
He is currently the CEO and founder of Success Training Institute (STI), the worldwide leader in superior soft skills training. Founded in 2012, Success Training Institute is an award-winning, education technology company based just north of Dallas, Texas. It currently serves colleges and universities, workforce commissions, school districts, and corporations from various industries. The customized learning platforms developed by STI include pre and post-assessments, individualized learning plans, access to data and analytics, and more. Their services are geared towards corporations and individuals looking to improve personnel through training in compliance, leadership, problem-solving, team building, customer service, and more.
Success Training Institute offers plans for entrepreneurs, college students, sales and HR professionals, and more. Priced to fit almost any budget, certifications can be earned in weeks, and most see improvements within days. Success Training Institute offers online programs designed to empower the workforce. The power-packed, 8-minute video segments can be taken on demand and have been proven to make immediate impacts on productivity, positivity, and efficiency on behalf of employees at all levels who complete the training.
Success Training Institute also offers college students the opportunity to increase their marketability after graduation through its Virtual Internship Programs. Students who are selected earn soft skills certifications to boost their resumes, earn extra money for college, and can work remotely.
Success Training Institute is recognized as a Top Innovator in Education Technology and cutting edge online training. With original content, unique and proven instructional method, and an evergreen library, STI is changing the professional landscape for students and companies worldwide.
8. Dylan Ogline
Dylan Ogline is used to being underestimated. It’s laughable, considering he built Ogline Digital into a 7-figure business by offering only one service—direct response digital marketing—and doing it very well.
Dylan was never going to wind up in a cubicle. A high-school dropout and self-described “unemployable entrepreneur,” he started his first business as a teenager in rural Pennsylvania. Inspired by reading Robert Kiyosaki’s Rich Dad, Poor Dad, he was able to arrange an importer deal with a supplier of sophisticated European cell phones, which were rare in the pre-smartphone and iPhone era. The European supplier had no idea that he was doing business with a 14-year-old.
Agency 2.0, which trains first-time business founders to build a laptop lifestyle from the ground up, is Dylan’s long bet that a younger generation wants to skip the heart attacks and do it the Dylan way. “2.0” doesn’t refer to the version of his program—in fact, the current version of the training program is the third iteration.
Rather, “Agency 2.0” is meant to imply a new way of thinking about a digital marketing agency—lean, automated, bare-bones, micro-niche. Dylan teaches students to offer so much value that they can retire their day jobs and become digital nomads after closing just a few clients.
7. Rafael Dos Santos
Rafael dos Santos is a Brazillian entrepreneur who hails from London, UK. When he initially moved from Brazil to London, his lack of language skills and British qualifications stopped him from getting a good job. He became a kitchen porter and glass collector in various pubs to survive. In 2003 an opportunity came along and he got into the real estate industry. He started managing and letting rooms in houseshares in 2003 and by 2014 He had 50 houses in his portfolio and 15 employees. He successfully exited his first property business which he ran for 12 years and now he runs a marketing and PR agency as well as a media club.
6. Fabrizio Moreira
Fabrizio Moreira is an Ecuadorian politician and businessman. He currently resides in the United States and runs The Moreira Organization which is an organization that was awarded by INC 5000 as one of the world’s hottest digital agencies. Along the way he became a prolific angel investor and venture capitalist, eventually co-founding the Brooklyn-based record label VIP Music Records – a label is best known for managing the bookings of the rapper Soulja Boy from 2013-2014. VIP Music Records was born in 2009, and today, the group has agreements with The Orchard Music, Sony Music’s distribution division. To head its A&R department, the company was able to get Dwayne Domonick Grant to join them, a talented hip-hop recording artist, record producer, songwriter, and rapper, known as D-Teck, who is a former executive at Konvict Muzik. He is also a voting member of the Grammy Awards as well as an international speaker.Fabrizio Moreira is an Ecuadorian politician and businessman. He currently resides in the United States and runs The Moreira Organization which is an organization that was awarded by INC 5000 as one of the world’s hottest digital agencies. Along the way he became a prolific angel investor and venture capitalist, eventually co-founding the Brooklyn-based record label VIP Music Records – a label is best known for managing the bookings of the rapper Soulja Boy from 2013-2014. VIP Music Records was born in 2009, and today, the group has agreements with The Orchard Music, Sony Music’s distribution division. To head its A&R department, the company was able to get Dwayne Domonick Grant to join them, a talented hip-hop recording artist, record producer, songwriter, and rapper, known as D-Teck, who is a former executive at Konvict Muzik. He is also a voting member of the Grammy Awards as well as an international speaker.
5. Guruji Shrii Arnav
Few people embrace change with ease and move effortlessly across situations that may be as varied as can be. It probably comes from an assiduously cultivated capacity to evolve and grow. And to look at different circumstances as opportunities for growth, just clad in different garb! Guruji Shrii Arnav is someone who conducts meditations in ochre robes with as much as ease with which he makes his way in a boardroom, sporting a Zegna suit.
Sought after by global tycoons, world leaders, life coaches, celebs, key decision-makers, and also the normal folks in day to day life for his guidance and wisdom, Guruji’s life is a shining example of serving with humility and wielding success with compassion.
There were some great accomplishments early on for him indicating that mediocre wasn’t for him – from being an academically brilliant student to winning the Competition Success Review Mr. Super Brain Contest in the year 1999, a prestigious competition held then at the national level in India.
Never one to shy away from breaking the mold, he let go of a conventional and logical career choice in high finance, he took on a spiritual commitment and initiated his endeavours to start an organisation that would help individuals overcome obstacles of different kinds, optimise life and experience greater joy.
In 2008, when the entire world was reeling with the recession and a global financial crisis, he took a bold decision and launched www.Gemstoneuniverse.com, a web portal providing the top quality natural, treatment-free, precious gemstones.
His vision paid off and the site now has a monthly reach of 4 million unique targeted viewers including those on social media. The online retailing business of astrological gemstones has undergone a tremendous makeover and even more impressive reach and acceptance. He is widely credited with revolutionizing Gemstone e-commerce and standardizing Gem Therapy worldwide.
4, Mike Dalewitz
A veteran entrepreneur, Mike Dalewitz specializes in business restructuring and turnaround. He has built a career taking startups to multimillion-dollar success stories. He is also a highly sought-after speaker who coaches young entrepreneurs across the country where he teaches and encourages entrepreneurship through a unique blend of mindfulness and business strategy. By helping both aspiring and experienced business leaders balance the personal and professional, pursue passion projects, and gain a greater perspective, Mike supports talented professionals in developing and sharing ideas with their communities.
Born and raised just outside of New York City, Dalewitz completed New York Law School, earning a Juris Doctorate. He first worked as a lawyer before managing talent in the celebrity entertainment industry and later started a brand marketing firm in New York. He serves on various Non-Profit Boards serving Education Enrichment Programs, including Build NYC for Lower SocioEconomic HS Students, Bucks County Playhouse which brings Drama Programs to underserved communities, and creating teaching accreditation for Drama Teachers taught by Broadway talent to improve their craft and help bring Drama class back to the schools.
Dalewitz has founded companies such as The Mindful Mentor, B2L Design Build, Inspired Review, Peak Discovery, and MD Events & Entertainment. He is also the co-founder of 618 Hospitality Group and ReviewRight.
3. Peter Phillipp Wingsoe
Recognized as the original creator of the micro-endorsement space, natural-born innovator turned serial entrepreneur and veteran in digital start-ups, Peter Phillipp Wingsoe touts over 25+ years of experience in marketing, retail management, business development, strategic advisory, and consulting. With a professional background in and distinct aptitude for brand acquisition and expansion in unchartered markets and territories (i.e. Southeast Asia), Copenhagen-born Wingsoe’s comprehensive knowledge of the international landscape has made him a consummate resource within all partnered organizations. Currently a lead strategic advisor to several million dollar multinational corporations across Asia, he executively counsels the territory’s largest corporations with holdings in real estate, hotels, retail, and the F&B sectors with a personal history of having aided the growth of many companies from start-ups to conglomerates.
Previously, Wingsoe co-created and served as EVP of Pink Dot, setting into swift motion the now-popular American e-commerce and online grocery trend, and then moved on to serve as the VP of Marketing and Business Development for Blue Jay Inc. before co-founding the award-winning, full-service communications agency Entertainment Fusion Group in 2002, with present and past clients that include Oakley, LG Electronics, Lacoste, MTV, Hugo Boss, Guess, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino LV, Ubisoft and Boost Mobile. Notably, Peter co-founded the first-of-its-kind “in stream” advertising platform ad.ly, along with other household names in the digital sphere (Tinder, VMoney, Looksy.com). Splitting his time among his residences in Los Angeles, Bangkok, and Manila, Wingsoe continues to speak routinely at global forums on brand innovation, brand extensions, and SEA growth opportunities.
2. A.D. Dolphin
A.D. Dolphin, the grandson of the 1940s and 50’s music mogul John Dolphin, launched his company, Dherbs Inc., in 2004. Dherbs catalyzed an evolution in the use of herbs as a clear pathway to excellent health, healing, and an improved way of life. A.D. explains, “I always knew I would be an entrepreneur. Everyone in my family owned their own businesses and I wanted to follow in their footsteps.” He pursued a career as a professional basketball and found success overseas in Australia. Upon returning home from Australia A.D. began coaching and professional training. His reputation grew rapidly and amassed 300 private basketball students in under 2 months. “I saw how clients learned and what worked for them,” Dolphin says. “I trained each client not only according to their desires but also to their needs.” Dolphin became a trusted ally, friend, and mentee of his high profile clients.
Sideline conversations propelled A.D into real estate & music, but he found the most success with his herbal supplement business, Dherbs. A.D. road-tested what is still the company’s #1 product to date, the Full Body Cleanse. Within 7 days of the 20-day cleanse, Dolphin felt that his energy increased, his sleep was better, his thoughts were clearer, and he kicked his soda addiction. Dolphin decided to launch Dherbs as an online company. ‘I didn’t even have an email”, he laughs.
Since 2004 when A.D. and his 2 partners opened the virtual doors of Dherbs.com, they have not looked back. After over a decade of growth and success, A.D. is in the herb business to stay. “There is nothing like the feeling you get when you start helping people.” Dolphin’s philosophy is simple and clear, “The body can heal itself if it has the right fuel.” Dherbs has over 400 herbal products that can help remedy a variety of health ailments. A.D. does not rest on the laurels of financial success. He has a thirst for knowledge and information to share with clients that distinguish him as a leader in the field of health and wellness.
A.D. Dolphin, known for being Steve Harvey’s health and wellness expert, has appeared on a variety of media platforms discussing the benefits of clean eating and healthy weight loss. He has also helped transform the waistlines of high profile clientele, including Emmy Award-Winning Actress, Niece Nash, Grammy Award-Winning Singer Brandy, WeTV’s Celebrity Hairstylist Kim Kimble, Actress Sherri Shepherd, ABC’s Blackish star Anthony Anderson, Windy City Host Val Warner, and many more.
A.D. has been featured on The Doctors, Sister Circle Live, Great Day Houston, Windy City Live, MNewsOne Now, Yung Joc’s radio show on Streets 94.5 ATL, The Breakfast Club, Essence Magazine, Sheen Magazine, CentricTV.com (now BETHer), and many more. Additionally, he has appeared numerous times on the Steve Harvey Show, where he has not only helped Steve with his own weight loss but has also been involved in food demonstrations, weight loss challenges, and met face to face with people who have succeeded using his methods.
1. Armand Peri
If you’ve ever been bullied, you’d know first-hand what kind of negative long-lasting impact it can cause the victims. To be a successful entrepreneur requires not only a powerful motivation and passion but also an ability for overcoming setbacks. But setbacks can come in many shapes and forms and one of the most common forms of setbacks experienced in adolescence is bullying. Although the negative effects of bullying are lengthy and can continue well into adulthood, some entrepreneurs have found that negative experiences have had positive effects on their adult life because it allowed them to be more capable to overcome the many challenges they eventually face in their own ventures.
One such entrepreneur is none other than the incredible Armand Peri. He was once a seventeen-year-old student who used to be bullied a lot but he made a definitive decision to do something about it. He decided to get into weights so that no one would mess around with him anymore and two years later, he was rewarded for all his hard work with a first-place title in the teenage division of “Mr. New Jersey” which then led to winning the heavyweight division in the same competition two years later.
Armand Peri was originally born the son of Portuguese parents who emigrated to the U.S., settling in New Jersey when he was just 12 years of age. One of his early memories was hearing his mother tell him that they [the family] were “not born to be rich.” Rather than accept this as his inevitable destiny though, he was motivated to create his own mantra for success, and it taught him one of his most crucial life lessons: the importance of setting goals and then taking well-thought-out steps to achieve said goals.
Armand’s first goal was achieved when he was recognized and lauded for his accomplishments in the bodybuilding arena. He also won a National Talent Search, was introduced to President and Mrs. Reagan and he even had his work displayed in a prestigious national gallery, as well as in the New Jersey State Gallery of Art. To state that Armand is an overachiever is an understatement.
Armand worked his way through college, first as a bouncer, and then eventually a dancer for a male entertainment revue. This decision to take on these dancing gigs was actually pivotal in his life and would ultimately bring him success and enable him to start his own company. Armand saw an opening in a niche market that felt right and he decided to fill it. He created Hunk-O-Mania, a high-end male revue and strip club for women in New York City. He focused on every aspect of building a reputation, not just for the exotic male dancers but for the entire staff – waiters, security, and ticket takers alike. Having been a dancer himself, he was uniquely positioned to run this enterprise, understanding the psychology behind it and making customer service and satisfaction on every level the top priority. This was undoubtedly what ensured his success right from the start.
Fast forward to today and Armand is now a successful entrepreneur, investor, artist, author, and motivational speaker. His venture has grown and expanded nationwide to Atlantic City, Chicago, Miami, Boston, Philadelphia, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Hollywood, Savannah, Greensboro, Raleigh, Baltimore, Washington, Austin, Houston, Myrtle Beach, Charlotte, Charleston, and Nashville. In his book “Unparalleled Success,” which was published in 2019, he shares his recipe for that success. He’s also frequently engaged as a motivational speaker. His genuine desire to help others to achieve true success, while keeping the focus on their professional and personal well-being, is what inspires others to find their own path to victory.