Cedric Wilkerson Jr or more commonly known as "CJ".

Born April 11th, 2003 in the DMV.

(DC, Maryland, Virginia)

An inspiring story about overcoming adversity and achieving success.

https://business.wisc.edu/profile/cj-wilkerson/

“I had always been interested in entrepreneurship,  streetwear, and sneaker culture, but growing up with divorced parents, there wasn’t much space for individual wants. Though difficult in the moment, those struggles built me to into the man I am today.”

“In 7th grade, I started my first ever business; selling candy. I had saved up $20 and asked my mother to take me to the store so I could buy a pack of 40 candy bars for $18. I gave her back the remaining $2 and went to school the following Monday with a plan. I was going go to school and sell that candy to all of my peers. 3 hours into school day I had completely sold out.

I called my mother that night to tell her the news and she immediately offered to help invest the profits into more inventory. 

That same night my mother drove 30 minutes to drop off Skittles, Starbursts, Chips, Gatorade, Fruit Rollups, and Fruit snacks. For the next 2 months at school, I sold candy until I made enough money to afford to buy my first pair of sneakers.

The shoes were Chicago 10’s and with the purchase of those Chicago 10’s, a new business opportunity was spotted.  

From that moment forward sneakers were bought, sold, and lent out on with insurance policy until my feet stopped growing.

It was there that Croesus came to be. At 16 years old after making the decision to prioritize myself and focus on my passion for business the idea for CRŒSUS was found.

I had the dream of making a clothing brand for as long as I remember, and it wasn’t until accomplishing my goal of becoming a barber that I decided to chase my dream. There were many struggles throughout the process of bringing this dream to life, but every minute was worth it. This journey began in December 2019, but it wasn't until March 2020 with 36 shirts, did the first drop release. That first drop sold out within 72 hours, and the brand has continued growing since.

 I am currently using the opportunity to gain a Business Degree in Marketing & Management at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in Madison, WI thanks to a full academic scholarship via the POSSE Foundation.

I aim to build a network of like-minded go-getters that feel accepted and supported in their personal journeys to achieve their goals.

As time goes on my story will continue to unravel, but I share this so that somebody who has a dream to do something sees how truly achievable their goals are, and takes the opportunity to go out and chase their dream!” 

 - CJ Wilkerson

CEO of CRŒSUS.