Kerris Lee is a born entrepreneur, a musician and a proud dad. Born and raised in California, he moved to North Carolina for his high school years. While there, he and a friend founded a clothing company that attracted investment from NFL star Torry Holt, and marketed its line to clients in Japan, London and New York. The company was eventually sold, but Lee hasn’t lost the entrepreneur bug. Today, Lee works for IT start-up Cazoodle, which has offices in the Research Park at the University of Illinois. He and his wife, Lucy, have two boys; 3-year-old Avery and 1-year-old Oliver.
See why we think Kerris Lee is a Chambana dad to know.
You work for a start-up at the Research Park and you genuinely enjoy going to work everyday. What’s your secret?
I, for one, enjoy working for a start-up because I have the opportunity to be a part of the ground-level stage of the company. What keeps me happy is having the ability to make a positive impact to our company each day.
You were a young entrepreneur, starting your own clothing line at 14. Do you have any ideas for how we can teach our kids to be more entrepreneurial?
Yes, spending time with your kids on family chores can really facilitate certain skill sets that can help kids in the business world. Family projects, like mowing the lawn or painting the fence, can teach a kid about hard work and quality management. This is instrumental for kids as mowing neighbor’s yards can turn into a landscaping business for that kid down the road. For your kid to be more entrepreneurial, you have to let the kid know that his/her work matters in the world. Then, they will know what success looks like.
Is your kid the best-dressed kid in town?
Although my kid is very fashionable, I would have to say, he is the best dressed in our home!
You also play in a band. Tell us about your music and where can we see you play.
Our music is a blend of rock and roll, jazz and blues. My friends and I are spontaneous when we play music. Most time we end up making some cool sounds when we just planned on watching a basketball game on TV. Right now we are booking venues in people’s garage and social events such as barbecues. So, I guess you can say that we have a while before you can see us at the Sweetcorn Festival or on tour in London, but we love to play and play for people that like new and fun music wherever that might be. (So, let us know.)
Father’s Day is coming up. What would be an ideal Father’s Day for you?
My ideal Father’s Day would be to go out to the park with my family. I love seeing my boys laughing and playing with other kids. It is as if there is not a care in the world. That centers me from whatever obstacles or uncertainties that come about. It teaches me each time that sometimes you just have to laugh and have fun, and that is what is ideal for Father’s Day for me.
What does fatherhood mean to you?
Fatherhood, is the most challenging and the best honor I could have in my life. It means that I am there to console my kids when they are hurt, discipline them when they are wrong, and love them always. Fatherhood is a test of all your experiences and inexperiences on how to pass it on to your kids.
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