First-Generation Attorney.
Wall Street Veteran.
Entrepreneur.
Growing up on Chicago's South Side, Darien learned early that opportunity doesn't find you — you go get it. Many of his high school classmates didn't make it out. He did. That chip on his shoulder carried him from college football to a Finance & Mathematics degree at the University of Miami, and then to NYU School of Law — the first lawyer in his family.
During law school, while most students were angling for summer associate positions, Darien was in China building a fashion startup from scratch. Because the best way to learn business is to do business. Doers do.
From there, the path went through Goldman Sachs (investment management), Stroock & Stroock & Lavan (corporate law, private funds), and Boston Consulting Group (strategy consulting for billion-dollar companies and PE firms). Those stamps on his resume would be there for life — but they were always a means to an end, not the end.
In 2019, Darien left to found D.K. Smith & Co. and DKS Capital Partners, where he partners with older entrepreneurs in the US lower middle market — leaning into their legacies, not stripping them for parts. His first engagement: a turnaround of Big & little's, a beloved Chicago restaurant chain featured twice on Diners, Drive-ins & Dives. He stepped in as acting General Manager, cut costs 70% and grew sales 45% in 45 days.
Today, he also serves as a lecturer at the University of Miami, where he teaches entrepreneurship to engineers, attorneys, and MBAs. He co-founded USTAAR (University Student Startup Accelerator) — a $5M program providing non-dilutive grants and equity investments to student entrepreneurs.
His philosophy: Growth provides opportunities. Opportunities provide jobs. Jobs build communities. His mission: make acquisition entrepreneurship accessible to everyone — regardless of background, geography, or pedigree.
