Success is the best revenge — The Amaurys Grullon Story

"I had to acknowledge that the people that I thought were going to open doors for us did not want to collaborate... and that changed everything."

Bronx native Amaurys Grullon wanted to be part of the renaissance of the South Bronx to push back against negative stereotypes and draw attention to the creativity and artistry abound in the New York City borough.

He thought he'd be welcomed into the community of like-minded earlier movers – his OGs. Instead, he got a resounding "no" from an established brand — a gatekeeper — and it broke his heart. "I remember thinking that like, 'Wow, like, not everyone is out there to see you win,'" Grullon told Catalyst. "There's a lot of people that — they want to see you fail, or they don't want to see you doing better than them."

The rejection just strengthened his resolve. So he banded together with other up-and-comers and became a gate opener. "I'm living the dream," Grullon said. "I'm opening all the gates, opening all the doors, all the windows for everybody. I want to see everybody win, 'cause we can all win together."?

And it worked: Bronx Native is thriving and collaborating with even bigger brands than the one who turned them down initially.

"What I've learned in this journey is that one door will open up five doors for you," Grullon said. "All those young entrepreneurs out there that might experience gatekeeping, that might experience some hate, that might experience these struggles and these bumps in the journey, look within yourself, tap in, do what you're passionate about, and just have fun too."

Speaking of fun: Grullon got to fulfill the childhood dream of just about any kid — not just those from the Bronx. He got to throw a first pitch at a Yankees game and has the ball and plaque prominently displayed in the shop.

All of which makes him even more a legit Bronx Bomber.