Why Demond Martin Left A Career At One Of The Largest Global Hedge Funds To Start A Health And Wellness Brand – AfroTech
Demond Martin had “extraordinary breaks in life” that have helped him to become a leader in the health and wellness space.
In 2024, the Harvard Business School alumnus spoke to an intimate audience at an event held in New Orleans during the week of the Essence Festival of Culture and reflected on his journey thus far. Already, he had served as an assistant to the White House chief of staff in the Clinton administration and spent just over two decades as a managing partner at Adage Capital Management, which he described as one of “the largest hedge funds in the world.”
Martin walked away from it all in 2022, Inc. reported. His why stemmed from a moment when he stood with his wife in an emergency room alongside a loved one, who dealt with depression, anxiety, and suicide attempts.
“As you can imagine, that turned our lives upside down. And it was the greatest pain that I’ve ever felt,” he said during the Essence event. “What we understood with great clarity as we were going through these moments is that we had each other and our community … I also realized that the 14-year-old version of myself, living in a trailer in rural North Carolina, going through the exact same thing, I’d be dead or in jail. What I also realized is that there’s so many, too many Black and brown folks, that are in the exact same situation.”
WellWithAll
This was one of the catalysts for WellWithAll, a purpose-led health and wellness brand that Martin launched alongside entrepreneur-philanthropist Carmichael Roberts to “close generational wellness gaps,” according to a press release. It carries multivitamins for men and women, as well as sleep support, Omega-3, and vitamin D3 and K2 supplements in addition to energy drinks created with naturally sourced caffeine, real fruit and veggie juices, and no artificial sweeteners, per the company website.
A portion of profits is directed to addressing health equity for Black, brown, and marginalized individuals, according to information shared with AFROTECH™.
“We wanted to create something that would correct the societal wrong. And so we’ve built an economic engine, right? We’re gonna sell incredible product, for sure, but 20% of everything that we sell goes to impacting Black, brown, and underserved communities. Everything we sell,” Martin said during the Essence Festival.
He aims to raise $300 million over the next decade to support WellWithAll and its mission, Inc. reports. As AFROTECH™ previously told you, NBA player Donovan Mitchell became a brand ambassador and strategic investor for the company, joining a lineup of business, sports, and philanthropic leaders, including Ken Chenault, Jonathan Kraft, David Fialkow, and Larry Fitzgerald.
