Just three years ago, Jaivien Kendrick was a 19-year-old working three jobs to make ends meet during a global pandemic. He is now the proud owner of the clothing brand, More Life, which he says is the number one brand on the campus of Bowie State University.
Kendrick is a junior, business marketing major at Bowie State with a mission to grow the black community through his brand.
“More Life is a brand about changing the culture in the black community. The things at the forefront of our culture, pertaining to the media, music, and some entertainment, aren’t the most positive things, and encourage negative tendencies and behavior.” Kendrick said. “More Life wants to change that by inspiring the youth to know themselves and follow their hearts. When you know yourself, you understand how powerful you really are. And as black men and women, we’re powerful beings just waiting to be unleashed.”
More Life sells hoodies and graphic tees that don the name of the company as well as other motivational messages that inspire its wearers to keep moving forward.
The company was born out of the COVID-19 quarantine as Kendrick was going through a period of self-discovery. He said his perspective on life changed after the murder of George Floyd. That summer, the young CEO participated and spoke at some protests and realized he was the change he wanted to see in the world.
“I was tired of waiting for a savior, protesting, voting, and then going home and waiting for someone else to fix our problems. I had to do for myself and be the change I wanted to see. So with that, I started my brand and began this close to the 3-year-long journey that I’m on today.” Kendrick said.
“The way I saw it, if you want to fix things, you need power. And the most powerful thing in America today is money. The best way for me to make money and to gain that power was to build an empire.”
– More Life CEO, Jaivien Kendrick
Kendrick has since found success building his empire with his clothing brand More Life.
He was recently recognized by AT&T, joining their Dream in Black: Rising Future Makers Class of 2022, a program designed to support and empower HBCU students who are making a big difference in their communities and beyond. Through this program, Kendrick said he’s been able to work with AT&T on a project for NBA All-Star Weekend.
He credits attending an HBCU for teaching him patience and persistence when it comes to his obtaining his goals.
Now backed by a team of creatives to help him, Kendrick plans to expand More Life to Howard University and get their clothes sold in HBCU school stores across the country. Kendrick also teased a potential deal with a big retail company in the near future.
Kendrick is looking forward to the future and what it may hold for him.
“I’ve become an icon on my campus and dare I say an inspiration to my peers. I’m blessed and thankful that I took that first step years ago. The future for me is bright, and I can’t wait to see what’s next,” he said.
