On Friday, April 28th, the UCLA Jonsson Cancer Center Foundation hosted their annual fundraising Gala, ‘Taste for a Cure’ and celebrated their 26th anniversary. The affair took place at luxury hotel, Beverly Wilshire, and honored Daymond John, the founder & CEO of Fubu, Star of ABC’s hit show Shark Tank, and CEO of The Shark Group. He also was presented the 2023 Gil Nickel Humanitarian Award.  

An entrepreneur in every sense of the word, Daymond John has come a long way from taking out a $100,000 mortgage on his mother’s house and moving his operation into the basement. John is CEO and Founder of Fubu, a much-celebrated global lifestyle brand, and a pioneer in the fashion industry with over $6 billion in product sales. As a celebrated entrepreneur, having received over 35 awards throughout his career, John’s marketing strategies and ability to build successful brands have made him a highly influential consultant and motivational speaker today. His marketing firm, The Shark Group, offers advice on effectively communicating to consumers through innovative means and connects brands with the world’s top celebrities for everything from endorsements to product extensions. John is also the author of multiple New York Times best-selling books, including his newest book and his first children’s book, Little Daymond Learns to Earn, which came out on March 21. 

This year, John is celebrating his 14th season on ABC’s hit business show Shark Tank by acclaimed producer Mark Burnett. The show has gone on to win four Emmy Awards and maintain millions of weekly viewers who tune in to the show every Friday night as John demonstrates his marketing prowess and entrepreneurial insights.

The evening will also feature a special performance by international superstar, legendary singer, songwriter, producer, and winner of an Oscar, Golden Globe, and four Grammy Awards Lionel Richie, who has now sold over 125 million albums, was inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, won the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song by the Library Congress, was honored with the Icon Award at the American Music Awards, and is a  Judge on American Idol.

Taste for a Cure unites the entertainment and epicurean communities and consistently ranks among the Top Ten culinary events in Southern California. The 26th Taste for a Cure will feature tastings from Angelini Osteria, Far Niente and Wine Warehouse, as well as a sumptuous array of dishes from The BLVD. at the Beverly Wilshire, Plateia, Hanoki, and the Bird and Gun Smoke, all while raising valuable funds for leading-edge cancer research at the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center (JCCC).  

Event co-chairs are Joe Cohen, Head of Television at Creative Artists Agency; E. Brian Dobbins, Talent Manager/Producer at Artists First; Jon Holman, President of The Holman Group; producer, Jake Kasdan, director, writer and filmmaker ; Larry Maguire, President of Emeritus and Founding Partner Far Niente Winery; Tendo Nagenda, Producer, Film Executive; Gary Newman, Executive Partner at Attention Capital; Erik Nickel, Partner Far Niente Family of Wines; Keri Shahidi, producer, 7th Sun Productions; Sandra Stern, Vice Chairman, LIONSGATE TV Group; Dana Walden, Co-Chairman of Disney Entertainment; and Arthur Wayne, VP Global Brand Marketing & Communication, Brooks Brothers. The Hollywood Reporter will serve as a media partner. 

Daymond John will join previous honorees, including Dana Walden, Eric Shanks, Gary Newman, Kevin Reilly, Jennifer Salke, Jay Sures, Joe Cohen, Paul Telegdy, Scooter Braun and Yael Braun, and Sandra Stern. The Gil Nickel Humanitarian Award was created in memory of Gil Nickel, proprietor of Far Niente, Nickel & Nickel and Dolce wineries, who lost a courageous battle against melanoma in October 2003. The award honors key individuals for their humanitarian efforts, community involvement, and commitment to philanthropy.

Over the past 26 years, the event has raised millions of dollars for the highest-priority cancer research at the UCLA JCCC. Please join the conversation via Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. The official hashtag for the event is #tasteforacure.

For information on Taste for a Cure tickets or event Sponsorship, please visit www.tasteforacure.com or contact Jacqui Farina at 310.989.4399 or jfarina@mednet.ucla.edu.