Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Maurice “Rich” Robinson.
Hi Dr. Maurice “Rich”, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I started Rich Grillz with a passion for creativity, culture, and craftsmanship. What began as an interest in custom jewelry eventually became a way for me to explore how art, identity, and entrepreneurship intersect within Black culture. Over the years, I taught myself the business while learning the technical side of creating custom grillz by hand, building relationships one client at a time and growing primarily through word of mouth and social media.
As the brand developed, I realized Rich Grillz was becoming more than a jewelry company. It became a space where culture, storytelling, confidence, and community all met. That experience deeply influenced me academically as well. While building Rich Grillz, I was simultaneously pursuing higher education, eventually earning a PhD in Africology and African American Studies from Temple University. My research focused on Black entrepreneurship, collaborative economics, and the ways culture can sustain communities beyond traditional business models.
In many ways, Rich Grillz became a living laboratory for the ideas I was researching. The relationships with clients, creatives, entrepreneurs, and community spaces helped shape my dissertation and broader philosophy around business and collaboration. Today, I balance multiple roles as an entrepreneur, professor, researcher, and media creator through projects like the Stay Rich in Spirit podcast and future educational initiatives connected to my research.
What has kept me grounded through all of it is the belief that business should not only generate income, but also create meaning, opportunity, and cultural impact. I’ve been fortunate to grow Rich Grillz into a recognized brand while continuing to evolve personally, creatively, and academically.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It definitely has not been a smooth road. Like many entrepreneurs, especially Black entrepreneurs building something independently, a lot of the journey involved learning in real time while carrying multiple responsibilities at once.
One of the biggest challenges was balancing growth with quality. Rich Grillz is a handcrafted business, so as demand increased, production became more intense. There were moments where I had to learn difficult lessons about scaling, time management, customer expectations, and building systems while still trying to maintain the level of craftsmanship people came to us for.
At the same time, I was pursuing my doctorate while actively running the business. There were periods where I was teaching, researching, writing my dissertation, creating content, managing clients, traveling, and still physically making jewelry. Balancing entrepreneurship and academia required a tremendous amount of discipline and sacrifice. A lot of people only see the finished product, but there were many long nights, financial risks, stressful decisions, and moments of uncertainty behind the scenes.
Another challenge was navigating industries that often overlook or undervalue the cultural and economic contributions of Black entrepreneurs. That reality actually became part of my academic research and pushed me to think more critically about ownership, collaboration, and sustainability within our communities.
Social media also creates pressure for businesses to constantly appear successful and polished, but entrepreneurship is rarely linear. There are highs and lows, experiments that fail, setbacks that force you to adapt, and moments where you have to rebuild mentally and creatively. I’ve had to learn patience and trust the long-term vision instead of chasing quick success.
At the same time, those struggles helped shape both the business and who I am personally. They taught me how to communicate better, build stronger relationships, stay grounded in purpose, and approach business with a deeper sense of responsibility to the community around me.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
What I do sits at the intersection of craftsmanship, culture, media, and education. Most people know me through Rich Grillz, where I create custom grillz and jewelry pieces designed to reflect individuality and confidence. I specialize in custom work that feels personal to the client rather than mass produced. A lot of the process is collaborative, from the initial idea to the final piece, which allows every project to have its own story and energy.
Beyond jewelry, I’m deeply involved in conversations around entrepreneurship, culture, and creativity. I host the Stay Rich in Spirit podcast, where I interview creatives, business owners, artists, and innovators about their journeys, perspectives, and the lessons behind their success. I’m also passionate about research and education, particularly around the ways Black entrepreneurs build sustainable communities and economic ecosystems through collaboration and culture.
I think what people know me for most is my ability to merge worlds that are often treated separately. I can move between business, academia, media, fashion, and community spaces while still staying authentic to myself. I never wanted to fit into one box creatively or professionally.
One of the things I’m most proud of is recently defending my dissertation and earning my PhD in Africology and African American Studies from Temple University. My research focused on Black entrepreneurship, collaborative economics, and the role culture plays in sustaining communities. Reaching that milestone while actively building businesses and creative projects meant a lot to me because it represented years of discipline, sacrifice, and belief in my vision.
I’m also proud of being able to build meaningful relationships and create opportunities that extend beyond myself. Seeing people collaborate, grow, gain confidence, or feel inspired through something connected to my work is probably the most rewarding part of everything I do.
A mindset that guides me in business and life is: “What separates me from others is I don’t separate myself from others. I’m all about the end outcome. If working with anyone gets me there I’m willing to do it.” Collaboration has opened many doors for me creatively and professionally, and I believe some of the strongest ideas come from people building together rather than competing against one another constantly.
I also think my perspective sets me apart. My experiences as an entrepreneur, professor, researcher, and creative all inform one another. I approach business not just as a way to generate profit, but as a form of communication, cultural expression, and community building.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
What matters most to me is creating meaningful impact through the things I build, whether that’s through business, education, media, or community work. I care deeply about creating work that outlives trends and contributes something lasting to the people around me.
Culture matters a lot to me because I’ve seen firsthand how creativity, identity, and shared experiences can bring people together and create opportunities. That understanding influences everything I do, from the way I approach Rich Grillz to the conversations I have on my podcast and the research I pursued academically.
Community is also important to me. A large part of my journey has been shaped by collaboration, mentorship, relationships, and people believing in me at different stages of my life. Because of that, I try to build spaces and opportunities that allow other people to grow as well. I don’t view success as something that should happen in isolation.
I also value authenticity. I think people connect most with honesty, consistency, and intention. Whether I’m creating jewelry, teaching students, speaking publicly, or building content, I want it to feel aligned with who I actually am instead of chasing what’s popular in the moment.
At this stage in my life, I’m especially focused on legacy and sustainability. Defending my dissertation recently reinforced that for me. It reminded me that the work I’m doing is bigger than products or social media. I want to contribute ideas, platforms, and opportunities that can continue helping people long after I’m gone.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.richgrillz.com
- Instagram: Richgrillz
- Facebook: Richgrillz
- Twitter: Richgrillz
- Youtube: Richgrillz
