Our Founding - WeThrive

Daquan J. Oliver

Founder & Executive Director

Babson College, Class of 2014

B.S. Business Administration

Daquan received his BS in Business Management from Babson College. Growing up in a single-mother, low-income household, Daquan made a promise at age 14 to assist future children in a similar socioeconomic position to become successful and founded WeThrive at the age of 21. A true believer in the power of young go-getters, prior to WeThrive, he founded Jossle, a youth marketing agency for brands looking to reach college student audiences. Jossle had worked with large brands like Zipcar and Uber and amassed a nationwide student network of more than 100,000 students.

Daquan has been selected as an Echoing Green Fellow, featured on the 2017 Forbes 30 Under 30 List, Boston Business Journal, The Boston Globe, Boston’s 25 Under 25, delivered a TEDx Talk on actionable strategies to overcome structural violence, named One of Five Top Black Student Leaders to Watch in 2014 by the Clinton Foundation, and received recognition by Former Secretary of State Hilary Clinton.

Why did you found WeThrive?

As an entrepreneur from a single-mother household I made a promise to become successful and assist those in my position to become successful as well. In childhood I grew distrustful of a system that I witnessed break the hope and confidence of many of my peers. Simultaneously, I observed my mother work tirelessly to suffice for the two of us.

In the summer of 2006, at age 14 I hit my peak frustration with the seemingly endless barriers, sub-standard expectations and financial struggles we faced. In the midst of the emotion I felt, I questioned how I could ever be successful. In this same moment, a thought struck me that I could overcome my obstacles. At that moment I made a promise to become successful despite all obstacles in front of me and assist those in my same position to become successful as well. Coupled with my natural entrepreneurial spirit and belief in the power of young leaders – the solution became clear to me when I attended Babson College in the fall of 2010.

Why life skills?

As a child of low-income background, I relate to and understand not only the very issues our youth participants face, but also some of the steps forward to succeed despite those issues. Working together with schools, community-based organizations, college students, advisors, and mentors – WeThrive is a holistic life skills and habits adoption program so that our youth participants can navigate their own pathways of opportunity and make a difference in any community that they are a part of.