Synopsis

Fonz Morris began his journey in Bed-Stuy, determined not to become another victim of the streets or a grim statistic. From working his way into Morehouse College to putting himself through university by bartending at Atlanta's most high-end strip club, Fonz's path was anything but conventional. He taught himself design, juggled multiple jobs, and secured angel investments for his startups—twice. But just as he thought he had it all, everything fell apart.

Facing the collapse of his dreams, Fonz drew on the resilience he had built through a lifetime of adversity. From losing his mother at a young age to surviving two house fires and countless setbacks, Fonz's story is one of unyielding determination. His journey is a testament to the power of self-belief, the importance of learning from failure, and the courage to keep pushing forward.

Fonz's story is for anyone who has ever dreamed of breaking free from their circumstances and designing their own future. It's a roadmap for aspiring entrepreneurs, a guide to overcoming the odds, and a powerful reminder that success is not about where you start, but how you rise after every fall. Will Fonz's resilience be enough to rebuild his life and achieve the success he's always dreamed of?

Sales arguments

• Fonz Morris is an inspirational driven self-starter who navigated his own path out of the violent streets of Brooklyn, to attain a university degree and start down the road of entrepreneurship. He suffered personal loss and set backs along the way, drawing on his own resilience and tenacity to push through and achieve his goals.
• Fonz Morris has broken through in an industry with only a 5% rate for African American employees. His success in this has been both with large corporations, including Netflix and Coursera, and as a founder of start ups where he secured angel investments to develop his projects, including funding from the Lomax family, one of the few Black venture families in the USA.
• Fonz Morris is a sought-after speaker at industry and community events, such as AfroTech, where his unique perspectives on design, business, and scaling platforms captivate audiences. He is deeply committed to empowering designers, startups, and entrepreneurs through collaborations with leading initiatives like SignalFire, First Round Capital, and Glynn Capital. Beyond his professional endeavors, Fonz is a dedicated mentor and educator, actively contributing to tech and community-driven programs, including

Similar titles

• Heavy. Kiese Laymon. Like Heavy, Self Design follows the journey of a strong Black man growing up in America in the late 20th century. The baggage both men carry differs, and their journey takes different directions. Fonz’ journey travels through business and entrepreneurship to the world of Silicon Valley.
• The Tao of Wu. The RZA. Like the RZA, Fonz followed his own path from the boroughs of New York to achieve his dreams, as a self taught producer. Both men faced large personal losses and deep self reflection along their journey. A strong drive in self education, an unfaltering self belief in their talents, and deep seeded resilience is common in both books.
• Manchild In The Promised Land. Claude Brown. Brown’s memoir of Black achievement was a seller of over a million copies recounting his path out of Harlem in the 1950s. Self Design is a similar tale, showing Fonz Morris following his own path out of Brooklyn of the 1990s out of a community plagued by the crack epidemic, drugs and gangs.

Audience

Self Design will appeal to readers 20-40 who have experienced set backs in following a dream, particularly POC, entrepreneurs, and designers.