Inspiring Footsteps
THE DIARY 20: DR. D’WAYNE EDWARDS
Photo: John Paul Howard
Everyone Is a Creator.
”Creativity is a fundamental aspect of being human.
It’s our birthright. And it’s for all of us.”
The Vessel and the Filter.
“No matter what tools you use to create,
the true instrument is you.
And through you,
the universe that surrounds us all comes into focus.”
The Creative Act: A Way of Being, by Rick Rubin.
Not all of us are born with the creative DNA of Dr. D’Wayne Edwards. He, however, lives by the truth that everyone has the power to create.
D’Wayne Edwards found his sanctuary in creativity at a very early age when his pencil first touched the page. He loved to draw—anything and everything around him—and his natural talent was undeniable. This was the beginning of his ‘creative way of being.’
Growing up in Inglewood, California, it wasn’t ‘the cool thing’ to draw or to call yourself an artist. Although he shared this unique gift with his older brothers, he mostly kept this passion to himself. The tough environment of Inglewood in the ’70s and ’80s built his resilience, while drawing gave him a canvas to dream —a passion that became his way of seeing and shaping the world.
He drew his first sneaker at age 11. His love of sports and immersion in sports culture fueled his focus and directed what he captured on paper. He drew what he saw—and the shoes he wanted but couldn’t have. Drawing sneakers became an obsession, the perfect refuge for his imagination and where his creative identity took shape.
For many, this is when creative enlightenment fades.
For D’Wayne, it was only the beginning.
What began as natural artistic habit and passion for drawing, continued to evolve over time until a high school art teacher saw his creative promise and, by happenstance, introduced him to the world of design. It was in his high school drafting classes where D’Wayne discovered creativity on paper. This is where he discovered conceptual thinking and learned how to apply this to his drawings. He gravitated towards the rigor, structure, and discipline in the classroom while learning these new drafting skills. Hungry to challenge his skills, he jumped at the chance to enroll as a high school junior in advanced adult classes, where he was first introduced to interior design, color, and materials—the rest is history.
This artistic calling became his driving force. Tapping into his creative spirit he resolved to do whatever it took to pursue it—he stayed the course. Leaning into his steady work ethic, resilience, grit, and focus, he jumped in with determination!
By 19, he became the youngest footwear designer in the industry.
D’Wayne often reflects with gratitude on the unexpected mentors that presented themselves along his journey—especially of his first professional mentor, Robert Greenberg of LA Gear Footwear(and later Skechers), who took a chance on him and opened the door to his first job.
It was Robert Greenberg who encouraged D’Wayne into the apparel side of the business. In the early 90’s he became the the lead footwear designer for Cross Colours and Karl Kani, pioneers of streetwear bridging fashion with hip-hop and urban culture. Here he collaborated with other creatives, learned apparel design, and tuned his multi-disciplinary understanding of design, materials, and techniques further developing his creative chops.
“It was a switch for me to becoming a on-the-job student of business and design. I was learning in real time what my job was because I didn’t go to college. Every day was a new adventure . . . it allowed me to slow my world down and focus. ”
― D’Wayne Edwards
D'Wayne with M5 2008.
Photo: Nick Depaula
It was this work that attracted Nike. D’Wayne’s first gig was designing boots for Nike ACG. One of only 6 Black designers at Nike at the time, including Wilson Smith the first Black footwear designer in the industry, this was the first time he had other Black footwear designers to learn from. This was pivotal.
Fueled by determination and grace, D’Wayne quickly rose to become Design Director at Nike/Jordan Brand.
Adjusting to his new corporate design role and work life was no easy feat. The mix of the intense challenges and the praise came fast. His rapid rise from young artist > into a fast-track, multi-disciplinary, learning ‘on-the-job’ path > to professional designer, business manager, and the creative visionary behind the Jordan brand’s growth to multi-million dollar + business, was both exciting and too much. Ten years into this role it began to really take a toll on his health. “I realized what I loved to do was actually killing me.” He had to step away.
HIT PAUSE.
Know yourself, wait for it, then step back in.
“Understand your creative power.
Know yourself.
Know your gifts.
Be authentic to yourself and with others
– the rest will follow.”
― D’Wayne Edwards
Denise Korn with D’Wayne Edwards, at PLC Detroit, 2025.
D’Wayne and I first met back in 2011. This was during PENSOLE Footwear Design Academy’s early incubation period on the west coast, while I was building YOUTH DESIGN, my own solution to empowering the next generation of design talent on the east coast.
Our kismet bi-coastal relationship has grown into 15 years of friendship—fueled by our shared passion and commitment to expanding opportunity in design for all—creating career pathways and educational eco-systems where young creative talent can both emerge and thrive.
Passion continues to be D’Wayne’s divining rod, fueling his motivation. He followed his passion for footwear design into the classroom. His own perseverance, and some luck, found him a way into the design profession– now he is driven to hold the door open for others. His instinct was to apply all he had learned from his own lived experience and focus on fixing the system vs. just continuing to climb the ladder. He had born witness that incoming talent wasn’t being prepared, his new model would introduce his students to “long hours, tight deadlines, math, rigor, business—all the parts they don’t tell you about in school.”
From ArtCenter College for Design, CA to MIT and Harvard, in Cambridge, MA, to the Kolding Design School in Denmark, he began pouring his passion into educating the next generation of young creatives. It felt good.
In 2012 he founded the PENSOLE Footwear Design Academy and by 2014 was recognized by Fast Company with a 100 Most Creative People in Business award – for teaching future shoe designers to walk the walk. PENSOLE forged partnerships with some of the world’s most prestigious schools, including Parsons, Harvard and MIT, where Edwards has lectured.
D’Wayne at the PENSOLE Footwear Design Academy
Dr. D’Wayne Edwards with Aric Armon, PENSOLE Footwear Design Academy student (2013). Aric went on to work as a footwear designer at Adidas and recently joined the leadership team as the Chair of Youth Programming at Pensole Lewis College in Detroit.
The PENSOLE Footwear Design Academy studio in action.
Daniel Smelansky, YOUTH DESIGN Participant with classmates in the PENSOLE Design Academy Program, led by D’Wayne Edwards at MIT, 2016.
“A noteworthy quote, a good book, and an inspirational website. These were the three things that D’Wayne Edwards shared with us every morning when we arrived, ready to work in the classroom.
The amount of exposure and knowledge that we all gained from D’Wayne was the true prize. The opportunity to work with a group of inspiring and motivated people my age while being taught by one of the industry’s best is something that I will never forget.”
― Daniel Smelansky
YOUTH DESIGN Participant in the PENSOLE
Design Academy Program at MIT, 2016.
Fast forward to 2021.
Dr. D’Wayne Edwards re-opened/Founded the Pensole Lewis College of Business and Design (PLC Detroit).
HISTORY IS BEING MADE
IN DETROIT.
Under D’Wayne’s leadership as Founder and President of Michigan’s only HBCU—and the only design- focused HBCU in the nation—PLC Detroit is charting a new path for education, creativity, and opportunity. This may be one of his most impactful achievements yet.
Just weeks ago, PLC Detroit officially welcomed the inaugural class of their new 2-Year Associate Degree Program. This is more than just a new program launch.
On the PLC Campus, Detroit.
Pictured is a 3-D Art Installation comprised of No. 2 Pencils lit and glowing, to welcome students to the PepsiCo Student Lounge at PLC, Detroit.
D’Wayne on campus with PLC students and Donte Cotton (far right) Brand and Partnerships Manager at PLC.
Ruth E. Carter with D”Wayne Edwards at the Unveiling of the new Ruth E. Carter Apparel Creation STU/DEO at PLC, 2025.
photo: John Paul Howard
Film Poster Wall in the Ruth E. Carter Apparel Creation STU/DEO at PLC, 2025. Paying homage to her creative genius and 40+ years career.
Angel Left fo right: PLC Students with
Del Edwards, E. Scott Morris, Sam Ryan, and Denise Korn, 2022
Honoring the pioneering fashion figure and iconic designer April Walker at the opening of the April Walker Apparel Creation STU/DEO at PLC, 2024.
photo: John Paul Howard
Ruth Carter at the opening of the Ruth E. Carter Apparel Creation STU/DEO with the PLC Team / left to right: Rodney Banks, Sydney James, D’Wayne Edwards, and Angel Buckens, 2025.
photo: John Paul Howard
Angel Buckens at PLC, prepping for the unveiling, 2025. She and Rodney Banks (pictured above were both PLC alumn and the co-designers of the Ruth E. Carter Apparel Creation STU/DEO.
photo: John Paul Howard
Design studio inspiration at PLC.
“The object isn’t to make art, it’s to be in that wonderful state which makes art inevitable.”
― bell hooks, Teaching to Transgress: Education as the Practice of Freedom
When I asked D’Wayne what inspired him to leave his celebrated “dream job” in design to fully devote himself to advancing equity and reimagining the career pipeline through education . . . he answered without hesitation:
“I am this kid. I lead everything we are doing here at PLC through the lens of my 17-year-old self. Bringing my personal experience together with the profound historic legacy of the HBCUs
I have unearthed the opportunity. With PLC we are creating a new future legacy for the next generation with its own origin story.”
― D’Wayne Edwards
In THE COLOR & MATERIALS LAB at PLC, Detroit
Ms. Suzette Henry, Department Chair.
D’Wayne leading a workshop in the state-of-the-art Jans Ernst Matzeliger Footwear Creation Stu/deo sponsored by Foot Locker at PLC Campus in Detroit.
photo: John Paul Howard
In the footwear design studio at PLC.
View from the April Walker Apparel Creation STU/DEO at PLC, Detroit.
Designing boldly, leading quietly, mentoring always – this is how Dr. D’Wayne Edwards continues shaping creative futures beyond the spotlight.
This is the perfect place to end, for now . . . much more lies ahead!
