DJ Riley of Tendaji- Solar Powered Fashion Tech

Daryl “DJ” Riley Jr. is the Co-Founder & CEO of Tendaji, a fashion tech startup developing solar-powered wearable technology, beginning with a wireless charging jacket. What started as a senior design project at Hampton University has evolved into a patent-pending venture focused on redefining how people power their everyday lives through sustainable innovation.

DJ’s leadership has earned national recognition, including being a Prize Winner of Pharrell Williams’ Black Ambition Competition, a Fellow in the 2025 beVisioneers: The Mercedes-Benz Fellowship, and a panelist at the 2026 beVisioneers Global Summit in Germany. He has also been featured in Essence Magazine, named to Hampton University’s Forty Under 40, and engaged with global platforms such as Microsoft’s #MakeWhatsNext Patent Program that support innovation and entrepreneurship.

Follow @ten.daji on Instagram to stay up to date on their progress.

If you are ready to protect your mental bandwidth, sharpen your leadership skills, and build a network that actually moves the needle, visit innovatewithcoachl.thrivecart.com/founders-and-leaders-book-club/ to claim your seat.

Additional details at www.LaKishaGreenwade.com. Let's open the right doors for each other.

Transcript

00:03.31
Lakisha Greenwade
It's the return of wearable takeover, the place where you learn about wearable technology, what it is, who's behind building it, who's investing in it, and what is the future going to be with AI-enabled wearable tech? I'm Lakeisha Greenway, also known as Coach L. founder and CEO of Wearable Tech Ventures, and we're excited to return. And we're returning in a big way with the power of 100, because we've been talking about how we're going to empower 100 wearable tech-enabled startups by 2030. And we're going to do some quick features of some of the founders and the and the builders within the ecosystem that are helping us to materialize that. And I'm super excited today to have one of our amazing founders with us who is in the United States. He just relocated from Philadelphia to New York and he's fresh off the plane from Germany. Yes, he was in Germany with Mercedes Benz for the Imagineers Conference, if we can call it that. We're gonna hear more about that, but it's so important that you tune in into our mini segments as we return so you can hear from founders yourself.

01:12.16
Lakisha Greenwade
We want you to hear their stories and understand how we are empowering founders, how we are empowering new innovations, and why that's so important, not only to our ecosystem, but to you, the everyday consumer. So will you give a virtual round of applause for the one and the only Daryl Riley Jr., also known as DJ Riley.

01:32.70
Lakisha Greenwade
Welcome, DJ.

01:33.05
DJ Riley
say Appreciate appreciate it, appreciate it. What's going on, fair guy? My little wearable tech, what's going on, Akisha?

01:39.61
Lakisha Greenwade
We are out here building... We're going to be announcing a number of new partnerships and collaborations, which we're so grateful for as we expand and enhance the ecosystem. But first of all, how are you feeling fresh off a plane from Germany?

01:56.33
DJ Riley
Oh yeah, first time I'm playing from Germany last week, couple days ago, I turned 29, so you know it's everything to be good for. you know

02:02.84
Lakisha Greenwade
Happy belated birthday to you. We're big on birthdays here in the ecosystem.

02:07.54
DJ Riley
Love that. Love that.

02:09.74
Lakisha Greenwade
How'd you celebrate?

02:11.38
DJ Riley
I was just chilling. Two weeks ago, I was moving from Philly to New York, and then I went to Germany right after. I just needed time to myself after those two weeks. so But it was a good birthday. Went to see Michael, so I can't get playing.

02:22.84
Lakisha Greenwade
Yes, a lot there in that movie, but take us back to Germany. What exactly happened? How did that come about and what did you experience?

02:30.98
DJ Riley
Oh yeah, most definitely. So in Germany, I was invited, exclusively invited to BeVisioneer's nonprofit um for Mercedes-Benz called the Global Summit. And um I was invited back in December.

02:42.66
DJ Riley
So sent from December to literally last week, I was excited to just be a part of this ecosystem and all. So the summit is about sustainability. And i was one of the 150 people that was selected out of over a thousand people ah for Mercedes-Benz Fellowship.

02:56.86
Lakisha Greenwade
wow

02:58.84
DJ Riley
So I got to meet people from here in the United States, people from Turkey, there in Germany, Japan, Indonesia. you know There was like 50 countries that was at that summit.

03:09.04
DJ Riley
So um it was just great to be out there. um you know i was the only black American male there, so you know I had to represent. But um you know I didn't feel out of place at all. I felt like this was definitely something that was going to like not only help myself, but you know people that's going to come after me. and um Yeah, it was it was a lot of good things happening from me pitching my business to me meeting two board members from Mercedes-Benz, the CEO of Mercedes-Benz. And um yeah, just connecting with so many like-minded people from all walks of life in the world. So I had a great time.

03:38.34
Lakisha Greenwade
All right. So we need to come back to those stats because if you are listening to me and I'm on a role and B role here, folks, because we're coming back, we're looking at multiple platforms where we're going to be posting this.

03:49.02
Lakisha Greenwade
We know how to spot really good founders. We have a really good track record of that. And what DJ just told us is that he was one of 100 founders around the world selected for This prestigious event ah where you were also introduced not only to the CEO of Mercedes Benz, but also to board members of Mercedes Benz. And you were the only black American male that was there.

04:14.17
DJ Riley
Yeah, correct, correct.

04:16.06
Lakisha Greenwade
I love it. Okay. So tell us what was the agenda like? What what were some of the major takeaways? And what was Mercedes-Benz looking for from you, honestly? and And for those, and I didn't properly introduce your business, it's called Tendaji. So maybe you could tell us about Tendaji and how does that fit with this event and what Mercedes is looking for as relates to sustainability?

04:38.26
DJ Riley
Oh yeah, absolutely. So I've started off going back to the 2019, 2020 academic year. So this is when me and my co-founders, project partners at the time, came together to do our senior engineering capstone project at Hampton University. So shout to the stand of excellence, you already know. um So when we came together, we was thinking about doing a project that complement all our expertise into one.

04:59.58
DJ Riley
So my two co-founders, we got Stanton Ridley and Jordan Walls. Stanton, he's our chief design officer now um He always wanted to integrate tech in into fashion. He has his own fashion line. He's the fashion guru of the group. He's been featured in New York Fashion Week, bound to be featured in Paris Fashion Week in October. um Jordan, he's our CTO. He's like that stereotypical engineer. He loves everything when it comes to circuitry, to electromagnetics. And um he thought that while was charging electromagnetics was something interesting.

05:28.06
DJ Riley
And then me coming in, i had internships with Solar Energy down in Miami with Nexera Energy. And then also with the National Science Foundation at Duke University. So that's where the sustainability aspect comes in. and we came together. we was at Standard's apartment and we were just thinking to ourselves,

05:45.98
DJ Riley
What if we create a jacket, Stanton's expertise, that could wisely charge your phone, Jordan's expertise, via solar energy, my expertise. So that's how it stuck. Seeing how we've been able to work on this business since literally the midst of the pandemic in June 2020, from the beginning of the, um from the inception of Tendaji, where Forbes was literally the one of the people that said yes to us during the pitch competition. We told ourselves, if Forbes is telling us yes, why should we tell ourselves no?

06:15.45
DJ Riley
and i'm Fast forward it to now May 2026, won Black Ambition with Pharrell, had patent-dependent status thanks to Microsoft's Make What's Next patent program, and then here we are with Be Visioneers. The Mercedes-Benz Fellowship was accepted into their fellowship back in March of last year.

06:33.46
DJ Riley
And, you know, first year is usually always the hardest year for our fellows because that's the foundational year. We want to just show what we're capable of and what we are here to prove. um So throughout this year, I've been doing modules, live sessions, meeting up with my mentor who works for McStady's Benz, meeting up with my venture coach to make sure that he knows that we're a ah viable business. um You know, for this whole year, it was just us keeping our head down and moving forward and seeing how far we can go. And um I remember back in December, we got the exclusive invitation to go to the Mercedes-Benz Global Summit for Beaver Gineers. And um yeah, I was excited from December up until last week. And once we got to Germany, it was just go time. It was time for us to

07:19.66
DJ Riley
pitched Tendaji. We got interviewed by B Visioneers. We went to Mercedes Benz Museum, met the CEO, like I mentioned before, and their two board directors. And um yeah, just making sure that we show what Tendaji is all about, not just here in the States, but on a global stage.

07:37.11
Lakisha Greenwade
I love it. And so help us understand what is Tendaji exactly and how do you think that may fit with where Mercedes Benz, which is a vehicle, luxury vehicle company, how does your innovation, which is a fast tech, wearable tech product, how does that fit into where they might be going?

07:46.65
DJ Riley
Yeah.

07:53.88
DJ Riley
Yeah, most definitely. So yeah, Tendalji is our wearable tech business. What we have is solar energy that's going implemented into our products. So for instance, Sundara is the name of our jacket, our solar power wireless charging jacket. And um what we believe with Sundara is that you can charge your phone wherever, whenever, whenever.

08:12.57
DJ Riley
And you don't have to like put your phone somewhere by outlet where it's exposed to millions of people. We don't know people's intentions. um You don't have to have your charger on you. Your charger may be defected.

08:23.51
DJ Riley
Somebody may have stolen that from you. Or you have a portable charger that just can't sustain a charge. If you could just keep your phone charged, even when it's just in your pocket, you know, that's that's the name of the game now. It's like make sure we can rate create the next best thing.

08:35.99
DJ Riley
And um yeah, from this moment, from the founder of Tendaji, you know, we've been thinking about more products that, you know, is coming along the way. We just want to focus on a flagship product, which is Sundara. And um just want to continue making things happen is what Tendaji means in Swahili.

08:52.60
Lakisha Greenwade
I love it. And so what feedback have you received from, it sounds like you have venture mentors within Mercedes Benz. Have they indicated why they have been interested in your company?

09:05.88
DJ Riley
Yeah, most definitely. So with Be Visioneers, it focuses on sustainability. And since solar energy and green energy is considered sustainable, um we was able to get the nod to be accepted into their fellowship to begin with.

09:18.68
DJ Riley
So um now it's just a matter of just having a prototype out, showing that the solar cells, not like solar cells you see on top of buildings and stuff, but like flexible solar cells that are doable and that can be put on fabric, just implementing that into clothing, showing what those solar cells can do by

09:23.44
Lakisha Greenwade
Thank you.

09:35.90
DJ Riley
you know keeping it in the sun and keeping your phone charged all day, every day, without you having to worry about saving some ah some ah battery storage just because you know you got may have to call a ride home or you may want to take pictures or something or things of that sort. So um on the sustainability side, you don't have to worry about charging your phone wherever. There may be an outlet. And um i don't know if you're familiar with the term phantom energy waste.

10:01.50
Lakisha Greenwade
enlighten me and the audience, because I'm sure there are many folks that this would be their first time hearing it.

10:02.81
DJ Riley
Yeah.

10:07.03
DJ Riley
Absolutely. So phantom energy waste, that's when your you have your appliances plugged in, but you're not using it. But that means energy is still being wasted, which means money is being wasted. So that gives you the opportunity to have your phone charged without having to depend on your electric bill to keep it charged.

10:25.50
Lakisha Greenwade
I love this. Okay, so we um were introduced by a colleague here in Maryland. And why don't you explain um how Wearable Tech Ventures has been able to assist you thus far and what you're hoping ah Wearable Tech Ventures can do in the future to assist you, your partners, and your business?

10:47.76
Lakisha Greenwade
Okay.

10:48.39
DJ Riley
Oh, yeah, absolutely. So shout to the good brothers of A5A. So I was a part of ah their general convention pitch competition, the Alphapreneur pitch competition. And I met Tyrone Smith. He was actually one of the people that was there talking and just giving feedback. One and one of the people in the audience. And I've known him since...

11:12.82
DJ Riley
even before um you know the pitch competition. this was I've known him for about, want to say, three years now. um But when I when i seen him again, you know it was all love.

11:19.86
Lakisha Greenwade
Okay.

11:22.95
DJ Riley
We were rekindling, just catching up, seeing how things were. After the pitch competition, he was like Frat, I didn't know that you were in wearable tech. And I was like, yeah, I thought i told you this when I first met you. But you know everything happens for a reason.

11:37.27
DJ Riley
And um yeah, when he told me that he knew you, I was like, okay, great. Yeah, listen, like if there's a person that actually understands wearable tech, let them know about me. you know let Let me know about them just so we can really um grow and build and do even more than what we're doing now.

11:52.63
DJ Riley
So since, what was it, August that we had our first conversation, um you invite me to the meet to New York. Well, you know, I'm from New York, so it was just a homecoming for me. But it was great just to be to see New York in a different light, you know, actually being featured in a um in a panel discussion in New York.

12:11.16
DJ Riley
It was just great to see.

12:12.00
Lakisha Greenwade
And that was for our AI Summit, the inaugural AI Summit that Wearable Tech Ventures hosted. Yes.

12:16.54
DJ Riley
Absolutely. Absolutely. So just to speak um at the AI Summit, um it was just like, wow, this is surreal. People actually want to hear me speak. you know And just the fact that you gave me that platform right there, I knew that this was going to be the start of just a beautiful partnership, a beautiful friendship. um And I know that Tendaji is going to benefit from Wearable Tech Ventures. Wearable Tech Ventures is going to benefit from Tendaji.

12:39.39
DJ Riley
And um since then, it's just us talking to each other, whether it's the retreat at the Poconos, you know having a great time out there um or you know doing trading, you know things like that. We've been able to just really see the synergy between the both of us and see how we can really grow as individuals, let alone as companies.

12:59.10
Lakisha Greenwade
I love it. And so for those of you that are listening, let me just enlighten you because while we are in our power of 100 series, we are also fundraising to support founders like DJ Riley. And so we have a series that is dedicated to developing our angel program as well as our mental health fund. that encompasses a retreat experience for founders. And so DJ was one of those founders that we selected and sponsored to attend the inaugural Founders Connection Retreat, which was held in the Poconos this past January. And DJ, why don't you share a little bit more about that retreat experience and why ah it was important or what or what came out of that for for you as a founder that is currently building?

13:46.78
DJ Riley
Yeah, so that retreat came right on time for me. So as you know, you know back in November, i unfortunately, you know I was laid off from my job. And you know that was my main source of income while also building Tendaji. So I'm at a point now where I'm like, it's like, wow, I'm doing all I can do. And yet the results still not showing. um So that retreat really gave me that time to just...

14:08.31
DJ Riley
be still and, you know, just reflect on what's been going good, you know, see what you can do to make things better, but also just enjoy the present, you know, just from the yogas to the sauna, to the the marshmallows and s'mores and all that, you know, it was just a very relaxing and,

14:26.58
DJ Riley
um re-energizing type of weekend that we had, meeting other founders that's in wearable tech. Shout out to my brother, Bryn, my birthday square. Shout out to Clam.

14:37.06
DJ Riley
Shout out to everybody. Angel. am I missing?

14:41.11
Lakisha Greenwade
five

14:41.22
DJ Riley
I'm going to say Yeah. Everybody that was there, really had a great time with you guys. Not only just seeing who guys are as founders, but seeing who you guys were as people and understanding that this journey is not a lonely journey if you're with the right people.

14:55.18
DJ Riley
So

14:56.22
Lakisha Greenwade
Absolutely. And it's very rare that founders have that opportunity to slow down and to truly connect. And for many of you, you might be secure in your role and you have vacation time, but the role of a founder is nonstop grind.

15:10.10
Lakisha Greenwade
And so what we were able to do was to cap out four days during a holiday weekend to bring these high potential founders together.

15:10.32
DJ Riley
No, you

15:18.68
Lakisha Greenwade
where they can relax, they could connect with one another as humans. But then there's been so many collaborations. And I told the founders during that time, this is the time to pull back so you could totally take off.

15:28.80
Lakisha Greenwade
And would you agree, DJ, that everyone that was on that retreat has just skyrocketed to success?

15:34.87
DJ Riley
Most definitely. You know, Brent, for instance, he was just say Italy, promoting his business. And here I was in Germany promoting mine. So, you know, it's it's just great to see, you know, like-minded people just trying to make a difference in this world. And with the idea and vision that, you know, God places in front of them, you know.

15:51.70
Lakisha Greenwade
Absolutely. And so what we know based off of what we've been sharing with those that are interested in partnering here at Wearable Tech Ventures is that we want to serve as that gap for founders like this. You've heard DJ's story. Many of our founders are still working or still going to school, and many of them might be kind of early for that significant fundraising perspective. And so we want to serve as that friends and family partner that serves in that gap around that 18 month sweet spot for these founders as they continue to develop their product and get it ready and viable for other fundraising vehicles. This is why it's important that you support our angel fund and also that you support our founders so that we can protect their mental health, protect their genius and make sure that they're in environments where they can be taken care of, but then collaborate with us other founders

16:42.23
Lakisha Greenwade
and matriculate to success. And so this is just one example. And hey folks, I know how to pick them. You could look at and listen to some of that past episodes, but what I can tell you, I didn't even know, I didn't even recall that that the incident about Forbes. you know I knew that Pharrell had invested in in his company. um i I became aware of Mercedes Benz having DJ and his team on their radar. But at Wearable Tech Ventures, we know really good founders. And one of the other things is that we also support founders. And so how do we do that? We understand that not every founder is a good CEO. So once a month, we meet with founders to help them build their leadership skills so they can be the CEOs that we want them to be that lead successful businesses and enterprises. And so there's other benefits that founders offer. can get when when we meet once a month in a private setting, typically it's the last Thursday of the month.

17:42.90
Lakisha Greenwade
But there's opportunities where I'm sharing how they can also produce ah money and produce wealth while they're still building their businesses in a legal and ethical way that doesn't detract or distract from their business. So these are just some of the perks of some of the things that we've been doing. And we know that we can enhance and amplify all of this with your support. So DJ, all right, tell us what's your vision for the rest of the year and where do you see Tendaji going, especially after all of this major support, especially that you've received from Mercedes Benz and some inaugural support from Wearable Tech Ventures?

18:23.40
DJ Riley
Yeah, absolutely. So, you know, we definitely see ourselves being at the forefront when it comes to sustainable wearable tech, seeing that we're trying to make a product that is going to be the next best thing.

18:34.64
DJ Riley
you know like We see ourselves being the Steve Jobs with the iPhone. We see ourselves being you know the person that created AI. you know We're trying to like revolutionize what technology really is.

18:44.95
DJ Riley
and um you know we seen like you know One of my favorite movies back in the day is Back to the Future. And we've seen you know tech being implemented into their ah um wearable ah wearables, clothing, accessories, and stuff.

18:56.41
Lakisha Greenwade
Yes.

18:57.11
DJ Riley
And we're at this point now. you know Whether it's accessories like the AI glasses or smart glasses or the Apple watch, things of that sort. We want to make sure that we can be at the forefront for at least apparel, if not accessories as well. So um that that's really what we're looking forward to. um you know We want to be featured in the New York Fashion Weeks. We want to be featured in the Paris Fashion Weeks. We want to be featured in the climate weeks, the tech weeks, you know, just because we are a conglomerate of everything that is what I just mentioned before. So, um yeah, I'm just excited to see what the future holds for us. You know, we're still staying solid. um Not only was I laid off from my job, but a week after I got laid off, my co-founder was laid off too.

19:40.76
DJ Riley
um But throughout these like past couple of months, me and him have been doing devotions, making sure that we stay spiritually grounded make sure that we stay resilient even in the midst of adversity. And um yeah, we're just excited to see where things take us, especially with us just staying devout Christians at this ah at this journey.

19:59.04
Lakisha Greenwade
I love it, DJ. And so um based off of some next steps, and also i just I just love how you have also been pouring into yourself and into your team to maintain that resilience and to maintain that outlook because it's so incredibly important. Community is important. But um one of the things I also like is that DJ embodies some of the values that We hope to amplify and continue to matriculate throughout the ecosystem at Whirlpool Tech Ventures. We believe in giving back.

20:29.98
Lakisha Greenwade
And so we ask our founders to assist in mentoring another generation that's behind them. And so DJ has stepped up on multiple occasions. to assist us as we have poured into the community and with youth with AI and cybersecurity and wearables engineering training. And so when we talk about founders that we want to support, um this is one of those founders that we're talking about because it's not always just about a check.

20:58.32
Lakisha Greenwade
It's about relationship and do founders follow up and are they doing those things so that they can grow into being better leaders? And so what I can tell you is that I talk to founders all over the world and many of them only approach me for a check instead of their relationship. Founders, what I need you to understand.

21:16.31
Lakisha Greenwade
Founders, I need you to understand this. Okay, I'm looking into the other camera now. It's not just about a check. And in many cases, if there's not a relationship, we're not going to move forward. I'm looking at you from a perspective of seven to 10 years. Do we want you in our life for seven to 10 years?

21:32.84
Lakisha Greenwade
Are you coachable? Are you going to give back? Okay. Do you follow simple directions? Simple directions. And if you can do some of those things, some of those easier things, it checks off the box. We don't mind opening our doors.

21:48.19
Lakisha Greenwade
We don't mind opening the floodgates to those that want to work with us to make sure we can help you succeed. And I want to let you know, DJ, that we are honored as a part of Wearable Tech Ventures.

21:59.71
Lakisha Greenwade
to be a part of your journey, your success journey. But there's some things that we need people to help us with, right? So of course, help us with the power of 100.

22:05.97
DJ Riley
Absolutely.

22:08.72
Lakisha Greenwade
We're looking at this this fundraising cycle here, but then also in the interim, what do you need? and And tell it now to our folks that are listening. Is there anything you need from a research perspective? what What are some of those low-hanging fruit needs that you have that our community can assist you with?

22:27.00
DJ Riley
Yeah, most definitely. So I can mention you know funding, of course, but also pilot partnerships to make sure that we can expand manufacturing support so we can build our prototype um and just you know just spreading the word. you know like Like I said, we want to be at the forefront when it comes to sustainable wearable tech. So you know if you so once you see this ah this ah interview, ah hopefully we gave you a good impression. And we want to make sure that we can continue doing what we're doing, but also establish the relationship because of this ah interview. So, um you know, that's pretty much with us. And best believe I'll still be asking even after this interview for help. So.

23:04.95
Lakisha Greenwade
Absolutely, as you should. And I had to learn how to continuously ask, but ask in a good way. And so folks, we're training them right. And so here you have it. One example of one of these 100 founders that we aim to support in a better way. as they work towards commercialization.

23:23.20
Lakisha Greenwade
Don't believe me. You heard it from Forbes. You heard it from Pharrell. You heard it from Mercedes Benz. We know how to pick them here at Wearable Tech Ventures. And this is an example of what happens when you have fashion and tech that comes together to create wearable tech, but most importantly, sustainability that impacts climate tech, right? So Tendaji. So DJ, before we sign off,

23:49.18
Lakisha Greenwade
How can folks follow you and connect with you?

23:52.34
DJ Riley
Oh yeah, absolutely. So you guys can connect with me on LinkedIn. It's just my name, Daryl Riley Jr. ah You guys can connect with me on Instagram, which is underscore dr.jr. And then Tendaji's page is T-E-N dot D-A-J-I on Instagram. And then just Tendaji, T-E-N-D-A-J-I Incorporated on LinkedIn. So looking forward to see you guys following us and just know we're going to continue to make things happen.

24:18.46
Lakisha Greenwade
You heard it here first, folks. And so look in the show notes for how you can further support DJ and other founders within our ecosystem and overall wearable tech ventures. Hopefully you heard a lot of good stuff. We don't just talk it. We work it and we do it and we show the fruit of our labor. Thanks so much for supporting the return of wearable takeover.

24:39.57
DJ Riley
See y'all, that's the...