Dominique K. Waters

Yesterday morning’s Love Akron Connect was a powerful reminder that stories can inspire change. We’re grateful to Dominique Waters for sharing his testimony, vision, and journey of creating opportunities for young people through innovation, culture, and purpose. Your passion for helping the next generation see what’s possible was felt throughout the room. Thank you as well to Ethan Humes for serving as moderator and helping guide such an impactful conversation. Connect is all about bringing leaders, dreamers, and changemakers together to learn from one another and strengthen our community. Yesterday was another great example of what can happen when people come together with purpose. #LoveAkronConnect

Had an amazing time at EAST CLC today with the seniors in the Entrepreneurship Pathway 🔥💼 I got to hear their final business proposals, offer feedback, and share some real lessons from my own entrepreneurship journey. But the biggest conversation of the day? Personal brand. 💯 We kept it raw: your brand is your reputation—what people feel when your name comes up. If you want your business to win, you have to be intentional about the person behind it. How you show up, how you communicate, how you treat people… it all matters. Proud of these students for dreaming big and doing the work. Akron’s next wave of business leaders is on the way! 🚀✨

Honored to be joining this month’s @leadershipakron Leadership On Main series on May 20th! 🎤✨🙏🏿 I’m excited to share more of my story and journey—along with some of the real lessons I’ve learned along the way. 💭💡 There is power in our experiences, and I’m hoping what I share encourages someone to keep going, keep building, and keep believing. 💯❤️ Hope to see you there! 🎉🙌🏾

🏆 Dominique Waters, founder of @AkronSneakerAcademy , wants YOU to celebrate a changemaker in your circle! Nominations for the 20th annual 30 For The Future awards close TOMORROW, April 30, at 5pm. Since 2007, the Greater Akron Chamber has recognized 600 leaders for their dedicated work in our Northeast Ohio community. 👏 Nominate a friend or colleague between the ages of 25-39 to join this group of Akron innovators at the link in our bio.

This past Sunday, I had the honor of serving as the keynote speaker for the Junior @leadershipakron graduation, celebrating Class 39. ❤️ My message to these young leaders was simple: you have a chapter to write in the story of Akron—and there is something deeply fulfilling about choosing to make impact in your own hometown. The future of this city isn’t “some day”… it’s being shaped right now by the courage, creativity, and character of young people like them. Moments like this always leave me inspired. They remind me just how bright Akron’s future can be when we invest in our youth and believe in what’s possible. Special thanks to Henry Johnson and the entire Leadership Akron team for the thoughtful gift of an autographed class photo. I’ll cherish it forever. 🎉🙏🏿📸

Just a crew from Akron! 👟🔥 What an amazing experience at the @cavs ERG Summit 3.0 (@cavscare_ )— a full day of relationship-building, real insights, and deeper perspective on the impact of ERGs across organizations. 🤝✨ Big shoutout to Kevin Clayton for an incredible session on using DEI frameworks to drive revenue and culture, and to the afternoon panel (including Mike Lowe, PMP from Goodyear) for sharing honest lessons on leading through change and strengthening ERGs. So good running into Sheena F, MBA too! 🙌🏾 I left feeling energized, inspired, and ready to bring these takeaways back to Akron. 🚀 Huge thank you to @wiltorama + @captrustfinancialadvisors for sponsoring and extending the invite, and to Nic Barlage + the @rocketarena team for their continued commitment to DEI. Special thanks to Brittany Long and Kristyn Pearson for the warm hospitality and for helping curate a powerful day. 🙏🏿❤️ We’re in this together — let’s keep leaning on each other as we build a brighter future for the next generation. 🎉💯 Pictured: @quietthoughtsmatter @akronsneakeracademy @loveakron @ladiesfirstakron @itswillieb @leadershipakron #ERGSummit #Cavs #DEI #Leadership #Collaboration

I’ve been deeply moved by the love and passion Tania Mangual carried for her son, Jericho. When she emailed me back in January—already searching for summer opportunities for her 12-year-old—something about her stood out immediately. You could feel how intentional she was. She understood the importance of nurturing his gifts, protecting his joy, and creating space for his talent and brilliance to grow. It’s hard to put into words the reality that both Tania and Jericho are no longer with us. I’m still grappling with it. But I also see their story as a reminder of what we’re called to be—neighbors who look out for our young people, families who advocate fiercely, and a community that shows up before it’s too late. Jericho won’t be able to attend Summer Camp this year, but I will still hold a spot for him—in spirit and in purpose. And I will keep working to build more pathways for youth like him, every single day. 🕊️❤️

Full circle moment. 🖤👟 Back in 2020, while working for @louisvuitton , I had the honor of attending Virgil Abloh’s “Heaven on Earth” Menswear show in Paris. The energy around that collection was unreal—and to top it off, my colleagues and I were invited to the VIP after party. I remember taking a quick screenshot of this invite to get in… and that was it. I didn’t think twice about it. Fast forward to this week—I found the screenshot again, and it honestly shook me. Because look closely: Virgil designed the LV monogram out of soles. Footprints. Paths. Movement. A reminder that your journey can take many directions before it ever makes sense. What gets me is this was before I moved back to Akron. Before Akron Sneaker Academy. Before “SOLE” Box. Before Saving Soles. Before any of it. Before I truly understood my purpose. And now… the work I’m doing is literally sole work—helping young people discover their identity, reclaim their value, and step into pathways of opportunity. It’s also a reflection of my own story, and how every chapter—fashion, retail, Akron, faith—has been woven into this vision. One of the biggest lessons I’m learning is to never dismiss any part of the journey. Nothing is wasted. Every step is building something. Forever grateful for where I’ve been… and even more grateful for where I’m being led. 🙏🏾✨ #VirgilAbloh #LouisVuitton #AkronSneakerAcademy #SoleWork #Pathways

The Akron Sneaker Academy is teaching students, primarily middle schoolers, to restore and design shoes in an effort to curb gun violence and encourage open dialogue about education and mental health. To hear the full conversation, visit Ideastream.org/soi or find us on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts. #soundofideas #ideastream #northeastohio #akron

What an incredible evening at the @grtakronchamber 119th Annual Meeting. I left encouraged by the momentum happening across our region—especially the continued progress around the Polymer Industry Cluster , strong partnerships with local businesses, and a shared focus on building a future rooted in inclusive growth. There is still important work ahead, but seeing nearly 900 people in the room—leaders, builders, problem-solvers, and partners—was a powerful reminder that Greater Akron has the talent and commitment to keep moving forward. Grateful for the conversations, the energy, and the collective belief in what’s possible for our community. #GreaterAkron #Business #Community #Growth #Innovation

What if we approached violence prevention differently? What if we started with value instead of fear… with purpose instead of punishment… with restoration instead of rejection? That’s the heart behind Saving Soles. Through sneaker culture — something young people already understand — we’re creating space for them to reflect, express themselves, and see their worth in a new way. Just like a worn pair of sneakers can be cleaned, restored, and repurposed, our youth carry brilliance and resilience that often just need the right environment to be seen and nurtured. Losing my brother to gun violence in 2024 deepened this mission for me. His life, his love for young people, and his spirit continue to guide how I show up in this work — grounded in compassion, dignity, and hope. I truly believe we can reimagine how we support our youth and how we respond to violence in our communities. This is just one step in that direction. Grateful for the powerful storytelling from @rmurreytv with @news5cleveland . Thank you for the opportunity to share our mission and the critical work we are shaping here in Akron. ❤️👟💯 #SavingSoles #AkronSneakerAcademy #ViolencePrevention #Repurposing #YouthEmpowerment

People often tell me to take time and grieve the loss of my brother. And I always say, “I am.” My grief just doesn’t always look quiet. Sometimes it looks like activation. Losing him changed me. It left a pain I’ll carry forever—but it also lit a fire in me to do something with it. My mission is to turn that pain into purpose, and to help shift the culture of violence that has taken too much from too many families in our community. I want our young people to know they are valuable, talented, and brilliant—not problems to be managed. We need a different narrative, and I’m committed to doing my part so that no family has to experience this kind of loss. I’m truly grateful to @akronbeaconjournal for sharing the vision of Saving Soles—honoring my brother, and making sure his legacy lives on. 🕊️❤️🙏🏿 Full story in my bio.