V. Dale Cozad Lecture in Entrepreneurship
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Mannie Jackson’s career has taken him from the boardroom to the basketball court. Jackson grew up in Edwardsville, IL, earning the title of Illinois “Mr. Basketball,” and attended the University of Illinois, becoming the first African-American and captain of the Illini basketball team. After graduating from the University of Illinois, Jackson joined the world famous Harlem Globetrotters before entering the corporate world of Honeywell, Inc. Jackson served as President and General Manager of Honeywell’s Telecommunications Business before retiring as a Corporate Officer and a Senior Vice President of Honeywell, Inc. In 1993, Mannie Jackson became the first African-American to own a major international sports and entertainment organization when he purchased the near-bankrupt Harlem Globetrotters. Under his management the Globetrotters quickly achieved a dramatic corporate turnaround and became one of the most admired and publicized teams in the world, while increasing revenue five-fold and rebuilding the fan base to record levels. Additionally, Jackson secured Burger King as the title sponsor of the world tour and partnered with FUBU to create a clothing line based on the Globetrotters. The Globetrotters have created its own merchandising and licensing company landing sponsorship, licensing and promotion agreements, which will gross over $100 million sales. Additionally, Jackson has served on the Board of Directors of five FORTUNE 500 companies. As a socially conscious international businessman and entrepreneur, Jackson and the Harlem Globetrotters are the perfect fit. Since 1993, Globetrotters charitable contributions have totaled more than $10 million. Jackson resides in the Phoenix area with his wife, Cathy, and two daughters, Cassandra and Candace. Read more:
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