Damon Dunn
Damon broke poverty, earned full scholarship to Stanford, joined NFL, founded 2 companies, became Stanford Hoover fellow. His journey transcends, inspires bold living.
Climbing out of Poverty
Born in 1976 in Fort Worth, Texas to a 16-year-old single mother, Damon Dunn grew up in dire poverty, living in a three- bedroom trailer with ten people. Damon grew up hunting and fishing as means to provide food and wore Salvation Army clothes. From these humble beginnings, Damon learned the value – and the rewards of hard work, which he has demonstrated throughout his life.
Excelling in Education and Athletics
In high school, Damon was an honor student and earned recognition as a Texas All-State Football player. On these merits he was awarded a scholarship to Stanford University.
At Stanford Damon had a record setting college football career, ran track and earned many academic and athletic awards, including the NCAA Academic Scholarship, All-PAC 10 Honors and Academic All-Pac 10 Honors, and the NFL and College Hall of Fame Award.
Upon graduation Damon played in the NFL for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Cleveland Browns, New York Jets and Dallas Cowboys. Damon had the privilege to play under and be mentored by coaching legends such as Bill Walsh, Bill Parcells, Tyrone Willingham, and Tom Coughlin.
Success in Business
Damon is the CEO of Sagan Sign Talent, which specializes in sourcing global talent for the sign and graphics industry. He founded Lagunita Franchise Operations, expanding it to 38 locations with over 500 employees and $30 million in revenue. Previously, as President and Co-Founder of Tricor SW Corporation, he sourced and developed 31 retail properties across the U.S., attracting major tenants like Walmart and CVS, and delivering over 20% annual returns for investors.
Leading Through Public Service
Despite these achievements, Damon has never forgotten what it is like to go to sleep hungry and wake with a sense of hopelessness. This is why Damon has committed himself to serving others; to show them there is another way and to help them find it for themselves.
While at Stanford University, Damon served as Executive Director of the East Palo Alto Stanford Summer Academy, which provided tutoring and mentorship to underprivileged Latino and African American students from East Palo Alto, CA. In recognition of his work at the Academy and elsewhere in the community, Damon received the James W. Lyons Award and JE Wallace Sterling Book Award given to students who demonstrated outstanding service to the greater Stanford community.
In the NFL, Damon worked with the Make a Wish Foundation to visit kids with terminal illnesses. He started the Fighting Giants Ministry that ministers to children with life-changing injuries. He also worked with St. Augustine Soup Kitchen, the Cops-N-Kids program, and the Cleveland Clinic Foundation.
Damon volunteered the in Santa Ana elementary schools implementing the Latino Educational Attainment Initiative (LEA). The purpose of the LEA is to help Latino parents become more effective advocates for their children, particularly as it relates to their education. During his undergraduate days at Stanford, Damon served as associate pastor at Jerusalem Baptist Church where he managed the children’s and youth ministries. Since his time at Stanford and the NFL, Damon has started the Joshua Project, a leadership development ministry that mentors aspiring young Christian leaders and the Long Beach College Prep Academy which sent 158 students, from low-income families to college.
Climbing out of Poverty
Born in 1976 in Fort Worth, Texas to a 16-year-old single mother, Damon Dunn grew up in dire poverty, living in a three- bedroom trailer with ten people. Damon grew up hunting and fishing as means to provide food and wore Salvation Army clothes. From these humble beginnings, Damon learned the value – and the rewards of hard work, which he has demonstrated throughout his life.
Excelling in Education and Athletics
In high school, Damon was an honor student and earned recognition as a Texas All-State Football player. On these merits he was awarded a scholarship to Stanford University.
At Stanford Damon had a record setting college football career, ran track and earned many academic and athletic awards, including the NCAA Academic Scholarship, All-PAC 10 Honors and Academic All-Pac 10 Honors, and the NFL and College Hall of Fame Award.
Upon graduation Damon played in the NFL for the Jacksonville Jaguars, Cleveland Browns, New York Jets and Dallas Cowboys. Damon had the privilege to play under and be mentored by coaching legends such as Bill Walsh, Bill Parcells, Tyrone Willingham, and Tom Coughlin.
Success in Business
Damon is the CEO of Sagan Sign Talent, which specializes in sourcing global talent for the sign and graphics industry. He founded Lagunita Franchise Operations, expanding it to 38 locations with over 500 employees and $30 million in revenue. Previously, as President and Co-Founder of Tricor SW Corporation, he sourced and developed 31 retail properties across the U.S., attracting major tenants like Walmart and CVS, and delivering over 20% annual returns for investors.
Leading Through Public Service
Despite these achievements, Damon has never forgotten what it is like to go to sleep hungry and wake with a sense of hopelessness. This is why Damon has committed himself to serving others; to show them there is another way and to help them find it for themselves.
While at Stanford University, Damon served as Executive Director of the East Palo Alto Stanford Summer Academy, which provided tutoring and mentorship to underprivileged Latino and African American students from East Palo Alto, CA. In recognition of his work at the Academy and elsewhere in the community, Damon received the James W. Lyons Award and JE Wallace Sterling Book Award given to students who demonstrated outstanding service to the greater Stanford community.
In the NFL, Damon worked with the Make a Wish Foundation to visit kids with terminal illnesses. He started the Fighting Giants Ministry that ministers to children with life-changing injuries. He also worked with St. Augustine Soup Kitchen, the Cops-N-Kids program, and the Cleveland Clinic Foundation.
Damon volunteered the in Santa Ana elementary schools implementing the Latino Educational Attainment Initiative (LEA). The purpose of the LEA is to help Latino parents become more effective advocates for their children, particularly as it relates to their education. During his undergraduate days at Stanford, Damon served as associate pastor at Jerusalem Baptist Church where he managed the children’s and youth ministries. Since his time at Stanford and the NFL, Damon has started the Joshua Project, a leadership development ministry that mentors aspiring young Christian leaders and the Long Beach College Prep Academy which sent 158 students, from low-income families to college.
Bold Expectations: We Cannot Escape Our Expectations
Damon transformed his life from severe poverty to success at Stanford University, the NFL, the Hoover
Institution, and in business leadership. Despite living in a cramped trailer with ten others, he envisioned a
future at Stanford. He founded two companies, secured investments, and brought them to life through
determination. Now, he uses his experiences to inspire others in complex organizations to elevate their
expectations and broaden their...
BOLD LEADERSHIP: Leading 360 Degrees
Enhance your leadership skills and advance your career by understanding key leadership trends. We all
engage in various forms of leadership as our roles evolve. Damon draws on his diverse experiences from the
NFL, corporate sector, and academic pursuits at Stanford, as well as his fellowships at the Hoover Institution
and the Pacific Research Institute, to explore effective strategies for downward, lateral, upward, and
introspective leadership.
Damon's...
FAIL BOLDLY: Profit From Your Failures
The macro-business landscape now embraces unpredictability and change, introducing numerous uncertainties
that impact decision-making and increase the potential for error. A risk-averse approach can hinder success
and relevance in a fast-evolving environment. How an organization navigates challenges and engages in
calculated risk-taking will shape its future. Those that foster a culture of resilience and quick recovery from
failures will gain a competitive...
BOLD Public Policy: Empower Poor and Working-Class Families
Sharing many compelling stories recalling his growing up in rural Texas outside Fort Worth in a single-wide
trailer dependent upon government assistance programs, Dunn recounts: “We lived on government support and
stayed poor for as long as we relied on those programs. We gamed the system, maintained our eligibility; and
survived on the bare minimum that ensures access to every free program possible. But in the end, we did not
find economic freedom until my...
BOLD CUSTOMER SERVICE:
LAGUNITA FRANCHISE OPERATIONS, LLC AL, AR, LA, MS, NM, OK
Founder and Former CEO, Dunkin Franchisee
38-store multi-state franchise backed by Cooper Management and Fargo Investments (Freeman Spogli)
• Grew from initial 5-store platform through reinvestment of cash flows and
SLB initiative
• Executed growth plan that led to securing non-recourse financing and full
equity payback within 5 years...
