Founder & Chief Creative Officer, Marc Ecko Enterprises

Marc Ecko's artistic journey began in the mid-80s in a makeshift design studio and showroom located in the garage of his parent's New Jersey home. A member of the then emerging hip-hop scene, Ecko caught the attention of the generation's new cultural icons including Spike Lee and Chuck D, who wore his t-shirts. These events precipitated his founding of *ecko unltd. in 1993, when he was 20. Since then, Marc Ecko Enterprises has grown to include 12 separate *ecko unltd. and red by marc ecko apparel and accessories lines, the contemporary Marc Ecko "Cut & Sew" collection, G-Unit Clothing Company, Zoo York, Avirex, Complex magazine, and a recently launched video game and multi-media entertainment division. Last year the full-scale global fashion and lifestyle company reported billings of over $1 billion. Marc's designs represent a broad spectrum of lifestyles and interests, from casual to contemporary, urban activewear to action sports. His brands have won an extremely loyal audience within a broad 13-30 age demographic. Over the years, he has also dedicated himself to a number of socially conscious initiatives, including significant work with underserved youth domestically and internationally, and a dedicated role in reversing the plight of the world's rhino population.