Meet Drake
ENTREPRENEUR. AUTHOR. FILMMAKER. ACTOR + MODEL. ADVOCATE.
Drake Alexander Piscione is a Gen Z entrepreneur, actor + model, and advocate for authenticity and unconventional career paths. Raised in Silicon Valley, Drake's life has been a journey of early accomplishments, deep personal challenges, and transformative self-discovery.
From an early age, Drake exhibited remarkable abilities. At two, he was riding a two-wheel bike; by six, he had been accepted as a Davidson Young Scholar, a program for profoundly gifted students. By 10, Drake was competing in tennis a division above his age group and was featured on OWN's "Our America with Lisa Ling" for his outstanding academic and athletic achievements. Discovered by a Pottery Barn photographer at five, Drake launched a successful modeling and acting career, appearing on major networks including Disney, HBO and DreamworksTV.
Despite these outward markers of success, Drake found himself grappling with intense pressure and a profound sense of unhappiness. This internal struggle became the catalyst for a journey of self-reflection and redefinition. In a bold move during his senior year of high school, Drake chose to enroll in a "Pursuit of Happiness" class instead of another AP course, despite potential impacts on his college applications. This decision proved transformative, inspiring a "digital detox" and a fundamental reassessment of his values, priorities and goals.
Amidst the isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic, Drake channeled his entrepreneurial spirit into founding Faith vs. Fury, a streetwear brand with a mission to support minority Gen Z founders. Kickstarted with over $12,000 in crowdfunding, this venture became Drake's path to financial independence and a testament to his ability to push through the hardships of an entrepreneurial venture.
Facing the crossroads of college applications, Drake confronted a hard truth: even his top-choice university wouldn't bring him happiness. Diverging from his twin brother Dominick's traditional academic path, Drake boldly charted his own course.
Drake’s quest for authenticity and happiness led him on a transformative solo journey through South America and Antarctica. His journey was a series of extreme experiences and profound self-discovery.
The adrenaline junkie in Drake drove him to conquer the notoriously turbulent Drake Passage to Antarctica, hike and camp for six days to Machu Picchu with his girlfriend, cycle the treacherous Bolivian Death Road, complete the highest bungee jump in Latin America, survive five days in the Amazon, and more. These experiences not only tested Drake's physical endurance but also catalyzed intense self-reflection. Each challenge stripped away layers of comfort, forcing Drake to confront his fears, reassess his values, and uncover hidden strengths. This journey of stark contrasts became the crucible in which Drake reshaped his understanding of himself and his place in the world.
Midway through Drake's year of travel, tragedy struck a devastating blow. His best friend, Marco Troper, died from a drug overdose during Marco's freshman year at UC Berkeley. Drake, who hadn't seen Marco since departing for South America eight months earlier, faced the heart-wrenching task of saying goodbye to his lifeless body at the morgue. He then spoke at Marco's funeral, grappling with the sudden loss of a friend who had planned to join him on his gap year. Just as Drake was beginning to process this loss, another shock came six months later: Marco's mother, Susan Wojcicki, also passed away.
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Rather than immediately returning to S. America, Drake received a certificate in AI for Marketing from Cornell University (online) and simultaneously booked an Amazon Prime TV show with MrBeast. Yet, halfway through filming, his grief over Marco was so vast that he needed to reconcile his pain. Drake returned to Brazil and spent time in the Amazon rainforest, living in the jungle and immersing himself in rainforest survival culture.
Drake's story is not just one of personal transformation; it's a call for his peers to prioritize authentic happiness and social impact over societal expectations. His multifaceted experiences – as an entrepreneur, actor, athlete, extreme adventurer, and advocate – uniquely position him to inspire and guide his generation through the complexities of modern life, encouraging them to forge their own paths to success and fulfillment.
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