Female executive, professional football league owner, producer, accomplished professional bodybuilder, and philanthropist—Dany Garcia has done it all. Over the years, she has built an expansive and successful portfolio of companies comprising global brands, live events, and even a tequila business, making her the master of multi-tasking.
The daughter of Cuban immigrants, she started working at the age of 12 and never really stopped. After earning a bachelor’s degree in international marketing and finance from the University of Miami School of Business, she worked at Merrill Lynch Pierce, Fenner & Smith, before starting her own wealth management firm, JDM Partners LLC.
In 2008, upon ex-husband Dwayne Johnson’s request, she made the risky move to take over his career management. In 2012, both co-launched Seven Bucks Productions, a multi-platform production company pioneering original content for TV, film, emerging technologies, and digital networks. The studio has backed a variety of successful projects such as “The Titan Games,” “Jumanji,” “Ballers,” “Baywatch,” and “Hobbs & Shaw.”
Although she quit the wealth management world to step into the Hollywood entertainment industry, she continued using her expertise to build her own empire. As founder and CEO of The Garcia Companies and TGC Management, she fosters explosive growth and global recognition for brands in various sectors, including the entertainment, fitness, fashion, spirit, and food spaces.
Last year, she and Johnson purchased the XFL, making her the first woman to own an equal or majority ownership stake in a professional sports league in the United States.
“I am fortunate enough to make history by following something I was so passionate about. Now that's an amazing thing,” she said. “But what happens the day after is also the enormity of understanding, O.K., now you carry a legacy. You have a responsibility, not only your responsibility to what you want to achieve, but you have a responsibility to the people who are following you.”
This is a responsibility she also values as a lifelong philanthropist. For instance, she founded The Beacon Experience, whose aim is to encourage at-risk students to continue their education beyond high school through educational and social tutoring opportunities, proving that her successful and multifaceted career will leave a positive impact.