John Paul DeJoria

Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, and residing in Austin, Texas, Mr. John Paul DeJoria is best known for co-founding two iconic global multi-billion-dollar-valued brands: Paul Mitchell and Patron.

In 1980, Mr. DeJoria and hairstylist Mr. Paul Mitchell used a partially borrowed US$700.00 to co-found California-based John Paul Mitchell Systems (JPMS), now the world’s largest privately-owned professional haircare company. Mr. DeJoria remains chairman of the company.

JPMS brands are available in more than 100,000 hair salons in 115 countries. There are over 100 Paul Mitchell schools throughout the United States, with more planned, and two in Europe.

JPMS produces salon-quality hair care, hair color and styling tools through a family of brands and was the first professional haircare company to take a stand against animal testing since its inception in 1980.

In 1989, Mr. DeJoria co-founded (eventually having a 70% shareholding) Patron Spirits International. In 2018, Bermuda-based Bacardi Limited purchased the company for the highest valuation ever for a spirits company. Mr. DeJoria is chairman emeritus of the company.

Mr. DeJoria’s current commercial interests include investments in real estate, ROKiT Group, John Paul Pet, Daily Body Restore, Nano Cure, environmentally-friendly hydrocarbon, and the medical and broadcasting industries, among others.

In Texas, Mr. DeJoria created a multi-million dollar fund for the University of Texas at Austin to help the medically disadvantaged and homeless, as well as a major investment in The Other Ones Foundation (TOOF), both which provide community housing locations for the homeless. In addition, he has assisted the Salvation Army with housing for families that are homeless. He and his wife, Eloise, founded Eloise House in Austin; a one-stop center for abused women and children that provides advocate support, forensic medical care, and housing.

John Paul was inducted into the Texas Business Hall of Fame in 2021 for his transformational impact on the state’s economy and communities, and received the Texas Medal of Arts in 2017 from the Texas Cultural Trust as Corporate Arts Patron.

In 2011, Mr. DeJoria signed the “Giving Pledge” created in 2010 by Bill and Melinda Gates and Mr. Warren Buffet. John Paul's main philanthropic investments through JP's Peace, Love & Happiness Foundation are focused on homelessness, food insecurity and entrepreneurship.

Mr. DeJoria has been profiled globally for his corporate and philanthropic initiatives across a multitude of media outlets including ABC’s 20/20, CNN, Forbes magazine, Fortune magazine, Fox, Fox Business, Bloomberg, CNBC, MSNBC, and NBC, among others. He has also appeared as a mentor for budding entrepreneurs via a guest shark appearance on CNBC’s Shark Tank television program.