Larry Miller's Secret Past and New Justice Project Revealed in Design Observer

Larry Miller, former president of Jordan Brand, concealed a violent past throughout his corporate career. At age 16, he was sent to juvenile detention after fatally shooting a boy he mistakenly identified as a rival gang member. His memoir 'Jump: My Secret Journey from the Streets to the Boardroom' details this hidden history and his subsequent rise at Nike. Miller joined the company in 1997 when Jordan Brand revenues were approximately $150 million. By 2019, when he became chair of the Jordan Brand Advisory Board, annual revenues had soared to nearly $4 billion, eventually reaching $7.3 billion in 2025. He now leads the Justice & Upward Mobility Project (JUMP), an initiative supporting the over 80 million Americans with arrest records through education, employment, and policy reform. Miller will discuss his work at the Great Place To Work Summit on April 23 in Las Vegas. The event offers discounted tickets for Design Observer readers at $995 instead of the standard $2195 price. Miller's early life in West Philadelphia involved educational opportunities in prison that led to an honors degree from Temple University in 1982. His story connects to broader issues of voting rights and neighborhood disinvestment affecting Black communities.