Robert Blackwell, Jr. is the founder of Quant16 as well as a successful entrepreneur and former trader.
EPISODE 41 • 6/9/2020 • 1 hr 26 min
He also founded Killerspin, the world’s leading table tennis engagement brand. The Killerspin experience reaches hundreds of thousands of people annually in over 160 countries around the world. Robert has served on many civic boards over the course of his career, and he currently serves the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, Civic Federation of Chicago, Business Leadership Council as well as being on the executive committee to Choose Chicago.
Show Notes
Watch the Episode on youtube:
2:00 - How do people go from poverty to prosperity?
15:30 - The advantage of growing up without money
22:15 - Robert’s long-time friendship with former president Barack Obama
25:30 - Why Robert sold his car to use ride share services exclusively
26:30 - Robert’s life-changing visit to West Africa
34:30 - Learnings from the ‘87 market crash
45:30 - Robert’s formula for decision making
49:30 - Killerspin’s company values
52:30 - Investing in ongoing economic opportunities for those with special needs
54:00 - Lagniappe: a little something extra you weren’t expecting
56:30 - What’s next for Robert and Killerspin?
1:02:30 - Why you should have an innovation budget
1:08:30 - Quantitative analysis vs. quantum computing
1:18:35 - You can get mentorship by reading, listening, and watching
1:19:05 - Rob’s takeaways