It Starts with the Right Attitude

By J. David Green

Published: 2025, 422 pages

Client: David A. Beckerman

Born: 1942, New Haven, CT

Industries: Licensed Sports Outerwear, Real Estate Development

David learned values from his parents that served him well in life. He shined shoes as a boy and later built an iconic brand professional athletes, coaches, musical artists, TV, and movie stars wore because his sports outerwear was cool. In this regard, he pioneered product placement in sport and created a category of sports licensing that drove billions of dollars for the National Football League, the National Basketball Association, and Major League Baseball.

David A. Beckerman founded Starter, one of the coolest companies on Earth. Athletes, coaches, TV and movie stars, musical artists, and millions of fans wore Starter jackets, hats, T-shirts and other outerwear.

David loved basketball as a player, a fan, a coach, and a business leader. As a coach, he won a national championship for his local Jewish Community Center (JCC), a gold medal for the US Maccabiah team, eight New England Championships at Hamden Hall, and three state championships at Pine Crest. More importantly, he changed the lives of many student athletes. His loyalty to people and love of the game also manifested itself in philanthropic contributions that resulted in sparkling recreation centers at Hamden Hall, the JCC, and the University of New Haven (UNH), his alma mater where his real estate development company created a thriving college town 400 feet from UNH.

His generosity also expressed itself with his family, his friends, and his adopted home in South Florida. Although he created generational wealth for his family and communities, he never focused on making money. Instead, he simply wanted to make a difference. For thousands of people, he did.