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Representation is everything and with social media and the creation of the Metaverse, now it’s even more important, allowing influencers and brands to truly connect with their customers, and their followers and ultimately establishing a relationship between the two based on lifestyle choices and personal interest.

It’s also creating a form of “togetherness” and a safe place for consumers to connect over interests such as music, sports, and even culture. Meet Ron T. Green, professional for all topics pertaining to Cryptocurrency, Cannabis, Entrepreneurship, Fashion, and Black Culture. Founder of TRIBE Worldwide Apparel, whose goal is to give this generation the ability to express themselves unapologetically through everyday fashion; worldwide.

Inspired by his days as an activist in Philadelphia, Green’s mission is to highlight the powerful aspects of black culture with powerful Pro Black fashion statements that allow blacks to take control of their own narrative.

Who is Chief Ron, the man behind the scenes?

Being a serial entrepreneur, it seems as if when I’m free from one of my businesses I’m working on one of the others. Besides the fashion biz, I operate an event space, I have a car rental service, and I recently launched a cannabis brand. When I truly have time to myself I enjoy reading books, working out, studying and investing in crypto and stocks, spending time with my family, traveling with my lady, & indulging in the herbal essence of cannabis.

When did you decide to create Tribe Worldwide Apparel?

I launched TRIBE Worldwide Apparel Co on Jan 31st, 2015 under its original name “What’s Up African? Apparel Co.”- which at the time served as a new way for Black people to identify with our African ancestry. We made the switch to TRIBE in 2018.

 

What is Tribe Worldwide?

By way of the “Diaspora”, we’ve been spread out across the globe. Changing the name to TRIBE Worldwide was done in an effort to better represent our presence in all areas of civilization. I developed an acronym for TRIBE that explains our purpose concisely: To Rule In Black Excellence. Our mission is to instill a sense of pride and connectivity amongst Black people thru bold fashion statements that reflect the positive aspects of our culture.

What are some important causes that you support and why?

The children are our future, and I’m a firm believer that “Leaders are Readers” but illiteracy runs rampant in our communities. I’m passionate about equipping the next generation of leaders with the ability to read and comprehend information. We need to be able to take control of our own affairs and make decisions that truly reflect our best interests.

I’m also passionate about inspiring others to take entrepreneurship seriously. Many of us have business ideas and inventions that could truly benefit society while providing fiscal stability for ourselves. I want to instill the confidence and offer the insight necessary to make their dreams of financial freedom a reality.

What are some of the struggles that you see within the fashion industry?

One major struggle that I’ve experienced is a lack of originality. Since I launched my brand in 2015, I’ve had my designs copied by countless bootleggers and sold on huge platforms such as Amazon and Etsy. This is a major problem because it takes away my ability to capitalize fully on my intellectual property. We do have trademarks however those do not prevent theft. They only give you the ability to pursue legal action, which can get costly very quickly.

Material costs are constantly increasing these days which can make production a headache. New fabrics and design patterns are in demand and they typically require a combination of materials which drives up the manufacturing cost.

What can we expect next from not only Chief Ron but from Tribe Worldwide Apparel?

You can expect to see me hitting the road to travel with the brand for some dope pop-up shop experiences in different states across the country.

We’re also planning to expand into the cryptocurrency fueled metaverse with our very own NFT wearable apparel.

We’ve got our own cannabis brand, Hella Black Hella Loud. We’re planning some dope brand activation events to help us connect with our core audience in some very significant ways.