Dara Kennedy, the journalist and entrepreneur who opened her first company at 9 and made history in New England

Dara Kennedy has made a name for herself as a versatile broadcast journalist. The television and radio personality has hosted prime-time shows, interviewed world leaders, covered primer athletes, and held engagement sessions with young professionals. Her career has also seen her travel to over 15 countries while extending assistance to people of color.

For viewers in New England, she was the first African-American woman to anchor NESN’s nightly flagship show in Boston. She also hosted several broadcasts of NEPM’s Connecting Point, including the primetime television special, “Generation Vote.”

She transitioned from being an employee in a media firm to becoming a media owner. She started the media company DiversTV which highlights Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) in content-creative industries, according to Forbes.

“The media production company is active in gaining and collaborating on original projects that highlight people of colour in front of and behind the scenes, from on-the-ground events to creating and pitching ideas for linear and streaming productions,” Forbes writes.

In addition to her media company, she is also behind Sports Finance Summit. She uses the platform to help young entrepreneurs navigate life’s hefty wealth decisions, her website says. Kennedy is also all about mentorship and was even a Global Citizen for the Nelson Mandela: 100 initiatives in South Africa. According to Forbes, she has made corporate appearances at Morgan Stanley, Imperial College of London, Amway, the NBA, the United Nations, and JP Morgan Chase.

Kennedy’s success is not surprising as she had always pursued entrepreneurship growing up. Black Woman Tech Talk notes that she opened her first company when she was only nine years old. By the time she finished high school, she had already launched four different companies.

She got her first television job as a teen talk show host in high school by winning a competition and has since worked across various sectors. “From the start, I was interested in not just one beat but in varying subjects. Journalism was my way to explore, bond, and inform,” she said. “I studied my craft and worked whatever available assignment and, even covered stories on my own time to become a complete sponge and orator of information and not be boxed in but, instead one who can contribute on multiple levels in my uber-competitive field.”

Kennedy was recently featured in Forbes magazine as one of the next generation of leaders and entrepreneurs in the Black community. The TV and radio personality schooled at the London School of Economics and Peking University in China. She also trained at the Big Ten and CNN international as an intern.