Throughout his illustrious career, Dr. D’Wayne Edwards’ mission has been to leave the industry better than he found it and to make the conversation around diversity a non-issue. He holds over 50 patents and has designed over 500 footwear styles for iconic athletes and recording artists such as Michael Jordan, Derek Jeter, Carmelo Anthony, Tupac, Notorious B.I.G and Nas.

In 2010, Edwards founded PENSOLE, the first academy in the United States dedicated solely to footwear design. The academy has placed over 500 alumni in positions at major companies like Nike, Adidas, New Balance, Puma, Vans, Timberland, The North Face, JORDAN, COACH, and Zenga. 

He has taught and lectured at prestigious institutions worldwide, and ArtCenter awarded him an honorary doctorate in 2019.

Realizing his dream of establishing the first Black-owned footwear factory in the United States, Edwards launched JEMS by PENSOLE, the first Black-owned footwear factory in the United States, that empowers young Black designers to create and build their own brands.

One of his most significant achievements is acquiring Detroit’s closed HBCU and merging it with his academy to reopen the nation’s first and only design focused HBCU, Pensole Lewis College (PLC), where he serves as president. PLC is the first HBCU to reopen after closing—recognized by Fast Company as one of the world’s most innovative design companies.  

Today, the HBCU has placed over 800 students into careers and has partnerships with companies like Nike, Target, Carhartt, Pepsico, NBA, Logitech, Foot Locker, and GM