NANDO MONDRAGON: THE UNDEFEATED UNDERDOG
Nando Mondragon held many titles by the time he was 18. Criminal. Delinquent. Drug dealer. Inmate.
And yet, his is a story of success.
Today, Nando proudly claims several other titles. Entrepreneur. Artist. Real-estate investor. Style maven. Music mogul. Community Activist. Undefeated Underdog.
In just a few short years, he went from reentering society to putting himself on the path to success. With the right mindset and the drive to see things through, he has accomplished more than anyone would expect from a young man with a past as checkered as his.
Well, anyone except Nando himself.
The thing is, that checkered past wasn’t just an obstacle to overcome—it has been the fuel to his success. The hard lessons learned; the hard time served; the hard road back. They all made him the person he is today: a deeply passionate visionary who wants to see the best for his community, and who's driven to make it happen.
Nando knows firsthand that opportunity is everywhere, right there for the taking—if you’re willing to take it. You have to be bold, believe in yourself and don’t let anyone take an opportunity away from you because they hustled harder for it. He is living proof that if you’re willing to put in the work, there’s nothing—literally, nothing—that can stop you from achieving your goals. And just like he’s done so many times before, Nando is putting in the work.
He’s hustling harder than ever to have a positive impact on the community by working with youth groups, community organizations and corrections facilities to tell his story and instill confidence in others to believe in their own potential for success no matter who they are or where they’ve been in life.
Want to book Nando for speaking engagements, mentoring opportunities or community events?
ROUGH BEGINNINGS
Nando has never been one to run away or hide. From anything. And that’s especially true when it comes to his past. While championing his success and business ventures is the most appealing part of his story, he wouldn’t be who he is today without the trials and tribulations of his adolescence—and the lessons gleaned from them.
Early in his youth, Nando developed a passion for graffiti. He quickly made a name for himself, and fell in with a well-known Denver crew. He was never really into drinking or partying; but one night, when he was 13 years old, he went with the crew to a party. A fight broke out, he got caught up in the melee and took his first beating.
That fight may have seemed innocuous enough—a simple act of youth violence that’s all too common—but it changed Nando forever. From that day on, he vowed to never take a beating like that again. Never would he lose another fight. A fighter mentality quickly consumed him, and through his teen years, he was arrested several times for fighting, stealing and graffiti.
It didn’t take long for Nando’s criminal behavior to escalate, as he soon began dealing drugs. Nothing big at first. Just another small-time dealer on the streets. But that competitive, fighter mentality and a natural business acumen took over, and Nando soon became one of the city’s biggest drug dealers. King Yeyo was born (“yeyo” is a street term for cocaine).
Over the next few years, he ran his quickly growing drug empire in Denver, known by law enforcement but largely flying under the radar.
That all changed when he was 18.
In 2001, Nando, a friend and their girlfriends decided to road trip to Las Vegas, loading up his highly customized SUV with money, drugs and, yes, a gun. One night, as they cruised the streets of Las Vegas, they had a run-in with a group of young men looking to start trouble. While Nando was never one to initiate an altercation, he made sure to get in the last word. He pulled out his gun and shot one of the men, leaving him for dead. As a result, Nando was arrested and sentenced to prison for attempted murder.
While in prison, it became abundantly clear that no one was going to help him—rehabilitation wasn’t really part of the process. If he was ever going to turn his life around, he would have to take matters into his own hands. So, despite the limiting nature of the corrections system, Nando dedicated his time in prison to making himself a better man.
He believes, “Being incarcerated saved my life...and I’m not ashamed to talk to people about that time in my life because I believe deeply that if I never paid for that mistake, I would not be on this earth today.”
After getting out of prison—and in between a few smaller run-ins with the law—Nando spent time as a certified welder (the inspiration for his now-renowned Certified brand) and a dump truck driver. He saw those jobs, however, as nothing more than a means to an end. He was saving up money so that he could launch his own store focused on hip hop fashion. He opened the first Certified store in 2006, selling customized sneakers, shirts, graffiti supplies and spray paint tips and local hip hop albums.
As the Certified brand began to grow and expand its inventory and services, the shop moved locations a few times. All in all, things were going fairly well. But, a few years later, an assault charge in landed Nando back in prison.
Fortunately, he was granted work release, which allowed him to keep the doors of Certified open. In fact, it was during this time that he began to understand what it takes to successfully run and grow a business. During his work hours, he kept his head down and grinded away at making Certified the brand he knew it could be. And when he’d go back to the prison at the end of the day, he would study and read business and motivational books. They unlocked the inspiration and drive needed to further develop his natural business instincts. And, perhaps more importantly, they helped shape a greater sense of purpose inside of him to understand not just how to be successful, but also why it matters. The power to realize his potential, take advantage of his talents and understand the true value he could add to his community was all Nando needed. The kid who got up every time he was knocked down became the man who lets nothing hold him back.
HUSTLE IN ACTION
Over the last decade, Nando’s ambitions and dreams have begun to manifest themselves through his work ethic and business sense. The Certified brand has evolved into Certified Tattoo Studios, which includes multiple locations across the Denver area and boasts one of the largest single tattoo studios in the world, with more than 30 artists.
Certified’s philosophy of empowering its artists to focus 100% on their craft rather than taking on additional administrative and clerical responsibilities is setting a new standard for the industry and getting the attention of artists everywhere. As its reputation grows in the world of tattoo art, Nando aims to take the Certified brand global with studios opening worldwide.
In 2018, Nando and his close friend from high school opened Besties Ice Cream, with both a retail location and ice cream truck. Besties brings together the best of both worlds for how he wants to impact the world: a successful business venture and a social community hub for people to come together and enjoy themselves.
That same desire to bring together community and business ambitions has also taken root internationally. He is a partner of an upstart hip hop music label in Colombia, which gives him the opportunity to pursue his love of hip hop music while also helping the local community. This latest effort is definitely one of passion, as it gives him the ability to discover Hispanic artists and bring their original sound to a larger international audience.
Music isn’t the only part of hip hop culture in which Nando is turning his passion into a business venture. With a longtime love of fashion and design, he’s launching a premium streetwear brand rooted in authentic street styles. From engaging the community to source one-of-a-kind textile designs through final product hitting the shelves, Nando is heavily involved in every aspect of the business to ensure a successful launch.
As someone who never wants to miss a golden opportunity, Nando continues to delve into new business ventures, bringing together his passion for helping and his drive to succeed in whatever ways he can.
PUTTING COMMUNITY FIRST
Among the many lessons Nando has learned in his roller-coaster life, one in particular stands out: Success doesn’t happen in a vacuum. As he saw his business ventures take off and his fortunes grow, it quickly became clear that those achievements were largely meaningless on their own. Success, wealth and notoriety held no real value if he couldn’t leverage them to give back to the community that supported him through his ups and downs.
For Nando, the community is as much a part of him as he is of it. And he’s giving back in as many ways as he can.
It started with the turkey drive. Several years ago, he began delivering turkeys around the holidays to families in need. If someone called asking for a turkey, he’d drive to their home and personally deliver it, no questions asked.
From the turkey drives, other community outreach efforts grew. Nando also spearheads a community toy drive; participates in GRASP (Gang Rescue and Support Project), a peer-run, intervention program for at-risk youth; and leads a Denver Public Library fundraiser called “Books & Ink.” But simply giving back to the community through financial and tangible support—while important and much needed—still hasn’t been enough.
In so many of the people Nando has helped, he sees a piece of himself. Individuals who seem to start life behind the 8-ball; who set foot down the wrong path and don’t know how to get back on track; who are focusing their potential, talent and intelligence on the wrong efforts.
Perhaps better than anyone, he can relate. And, because of that, he’s helping these misguided individuals find their way. He now dedicates much of his time to speaking engagements and youth mentoring through a number of organizations, and continues to expand this effort to be an influential and authentic voice in the lives of those who need it most.
Nando brings a special relatability to his talks that connects with people and resonates at a deeper and more authentic level. Because his story goes so far beyond the kind of cookie-cutter, rags-to-riches tale that everyone has heard a million times, he’s able to reach individuals who others might think are too far gone. In fact, creating an authentic connection with those in the darkest pits of despair and helping them find their way out is where he excels most. He’s real. He’s raw. And he knows that no one is ever too far gone.
If you are interested in discussing an opportunity for Nando to support the community through group talks, youth mentoring or community events, please contact him any time.
