![]() ![]() I sold millions of bottles for Grey Goose, I sold millions of bottles for Combs wine and spirits, Ciroc, and DeLeón, but I wasn’t really benefiting.ĪT: You were making money for somebody else. When I got to the spirits industry, I created all these platforms that all these companies use, but I didn’t patent it and sell it. Walking those grounds, drinking water from the creek where the original Jack Daniel’s was made, going to our distillery, it was a breathtaking experience. We talked and she took me to the hallowed grounds, where Jack Daniel came to learn from Uncle Nearest. Kenny Burns: When I met Fawn, she was just this energy, this presence. Kenny Burns spoke with AfroTech about his start with Uncle Nearest, the importance of equity, and sharing advice within the Black community.ĪfroTech: Your role at Uncle Nearest is different, even though you’ve worked with spirits in a different capacity before. I feel like I’m where I’m supposed to be.” It was the biggest investment I ever made to this point. “But I use my personality, my marketing skills to advance opportunities. “I didn’t plan to be in this business,” Burns said. Today, the self-proclaimed “Lifestyle Specialist” designs family-led streetwear brand BRNS and hosts “The Kenny Burns Show,” a daily digital show on IGTV that has featured guests such as social activist Tamika Mallory, award-winning producer Lena Waithe and marketing exec Bozoma Saint John.Īlthough he brokered deals and created campaigns for several alcoholic beverage companies across his three-decade-long career, his newfound role in the spirits industry wasn’t intentional. His serial creative entrepreneurship and sharp business acumen positioned him as a key OG influencer who constantly reinvents himself to curate culture. He also signed platinum-selling rapper Wale to his independent record label, Studio 43. He served as Vice President of Roc-A-Fella Records, launched fashion brand Ryan Kenny and served as the SVP of Brand Development at Combs Enterprises. ![]() His success began in the Atlanta party scene where he married his hustle, personality, and marketing skills to ascend him to the top ranks of the business. And whiskey.”Ī son of Washington, D.C., Burns is an ever-present figure in the entertainment industry. I’ll do whatever I have to do to make sure this is the biggest story ever. “I’m the biggest ambassador for the Nearest, but at the same time, I’m an owner, so I’m very active, whether it’s using my likeness or leveraging my relationships. ![]() “I’m one of the first investors,” Burns told AfroTech. In 2018, Kenny Burns joined Uncle Nearest CEO Fawn Weaver to help amplify the little-known history story behind the brand: Green, a slave, taught Jack Daniel how to make whiskey, which later became Jack Daniel’s. However, the most impactful moniker in his business portfolio to date is Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey, named after the first Black master distiller, Nathan “Nearest” Green. The name Kenny Burns is associated with several big labels-Hennessy, Heineken, DeLeón, Ciroc, and more. ![]()
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