Entrepreneur | Nonprofit Leader | Public Speaker | Community Advocate

Founder & CEO of UFSI.ORG | Owner of Snap Fitness Bremerton & Hands of Favor LLC

"I didn’t just survive — I transformed. Now I lead others to freedom."
Darryl Riley is a testament to resilience, transformation, and the power of purpose. Raised in poverty on Chicago’s West Side and navigating life in a broken home from the age of 8, Darryl confronted adversity early — especially the barriers disproportionately facing young Black men in America. But even in the midst of chaos, he pursued excellence in school and earned a prestigious music scholarship through sheer determination and talent.

At just 16 though, Darryl's life took a sharp turn. Caught in the wrong place at the wrong time during a neighborhood altercation, he was given his first felony — a moment that would become a defining point in his story. A month later, he was introduced to freebase cocaine.

Like many young Black men growing up under the systemic shadows of racism, poverty, and limited opportunity, Darryl wasn’t afforded the luxury to dream freely. In his words, all he wanted to be when he grew up was “to be alive.”
The War on Drugs, cycles of incarceration, and institutional neglect consumed many years of his life. Each time he re-entered society, he was met not with opportunity, but with stigma and systemic barriers. Still, Darryl never stopped seeking a better way. A paradigm shift was coming.
And when it came, he seized it.

From the Streets to the Boardroom

Today, Darryl Riley is an accomplished businessman, licensed barber, and transformational leader. Since 2013, he has successfully owned and operated Hands of Favor LLC, two businesses employing a dozen local community members and investing in second chances. In 2022, Darryl expanded his entrepreneurial footprint by acquiring a Snap Fitness franchise in Bremerton, Washington, under his new venture, DSR Fitness LLC.

His leadership goes far beyond business. Darryl is deeply engaged in civic transformation:
• Inaugural Member, City of Bremerton’s Racial Equity Advisory Committee
• Founding Design Team Member, Catalyst Bremerton Charter School
• Three-term Citizen Member, City Audit Committee
• Chairperson, Asset Building Coalition of Kitsap 2024-2025

Purpose Rooted in Legacy
In 2020, while reading Up From Slavery by Booker T. Washington and witnessing the murder of George Floyd, Darryl recognized a familiar script. But this time, he chose to rewrite it. Inspired by the strength of his ancestors — those who rose from bondage to build Black Wall Street within a generation — Darryl co-founded UFSI.ORG (Up From Slavery Initiative). 

​

The organization empowers communities of color and others to break free from the modern chains of poverty, addiction, mental health and incarceration.
Darryl doesn’t just talk about change — he embodies it. He brings lived experience, strategic insight, and an unshakable belief in what’s possible. As he often says, he holds a “Ph.D. in the streets” — and now uses it to teach, uplift, and liberate others.

Today, Darryl Riley lives a life of purpose, prosperity, and power — not just for himself, but for the generations rising behind him.