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Omar Cooper is the epitome of an involved Black father. The entrepreneur runs the LifeStyle brand, which includes the LifeStyle Sports Bistro, a lounge and restaurant where people can watch big sporting events and network in metro Atlanta. He also runs the LifeStyle Sports Agency, which has athletes like Cleveland Cavaliers forward Isaac Okoro and Los Angeles Sparks center Olivia Nelson-Ododa on the roster. Two of his children, Te’a Cooper and Sharife Cooper, are also professional basketball players.
Recently, rolling out caught up with Sharife Cooper, who expressed gratitude for his father’s guidance.
What has your father taught you about entrepreneurship?
I feel like it’s extremely important. He has multiple businesses. … So that [was] a big thing growing up in my household and it’s something I [aspired] to do growing up. It’s something that is extremely important.
What impact did your father have on you while you were growing up?
It was extremely important having [the] firsthand influence of someone you look up to. Someone you idolize, your father, doing those things and breaking the generational codes and stereotypes. It’s just empowering, so having [the] father that I had, I was extremely blessed, but you know, things like this [the N.H. Scott Recreation Center community room in DeKalb County, Georgia], can benefit many, many other people that weren’t as blessed as I was.
