Meet David Annakie: A Serial Entrepreneur Dedicated to Bringing Education on Health-Wellness, Finance and Life Coaching to Multicultural Communities

David Annakie is a New York-based entrepreneur with over three decades of experience starting and running ultra-successful businesses. He is the host-broadcaster of the popular radio show, LinkUp Radio, on 93.5FM WVIP, now the only Caribbean radio station in the New York Tri-State Area. Each week, he delivers practical advice to his multi-cultural listeners on topics ranging from law, finance, real estate, and wellness.

How did you develop your passion for working with multicultural and immigrant communities? 

DA: I was an immigrant myself years ago. I was born in Jamaica and moved to the Bronx at a young age. Those early days were tough and I struggled to adapt to the American lifestyle. There was no one available to teach me important things such as how to apply for a credit card, how to buy a home, how to solve my immigrant status, How to build wealth, or even how to live as an American. I had to work really hard to get to where I am today, and now I’m dedicated to providing other immigrants with the education and resources I wish I had had all those years ago.

What contributed to your personal success?

DA: Hard work and determination. From a young age, I realized that hard work was the only way I could get where I wanted to be. I dedicated myself to my studies and my career. My working experience and business acumen in multiple executive positions with a few large corporations. I honed my skills in those roles and by 1996 I was looking for something new. So, I contacted two of the few Brokered radio stations in NY(WNWK and WVIP) and began buying airtime and programming them.

What made you want to be on the radio? 

DA: I saw the radio as a means of reaching a broader audience. At this point, I was also running a media company, LinkUp Media Group, and was helping start-ups and small companies develop marketing strategies and find success but I continued to be disparaged by the lack of basic education many immigrant communities were plagued by. I wanted to create a fun yet informative format to empower multicultural communities like my own to improve their lives. 

What type of topics does your radio show cover? 

DA: LinkUp Radio addresses a variety of topics, ranging from law, immigration, credit, debt management, health, real estate, and entrepreneurship. Understanding these matters is the only way to get ahead in America. The more I began to explore these topics and bring on new guests to educate my listeners, the more I began to learn about just how big a problem this truly was. 

What type of problems do you seek to solve? 

DA: For years, I’d understood the host of credit problems that affected immigrant communities. In today’s age, credit scores dramatically affect one's ability to support themselves and their families. Everything from Buying a home, Auto loans, credit cards, insurance, immigration  and even employment can be affected by credit score. Many immigrants come to America with no knowledge of the trouble they’re entering into by developing poor credit. I founded USA Credit Repair to help those individuals address their negative credit and develop a strategy to move forward. My team of certified credit experts  and attorneys provide one on one support and we offer tactical strategies for how to build credit and get out of debt on the financial segments of the Radio program “LinkUp”.

What are your other business ventures? 

DA: In addition to LinkUp Radio and LinkUp Media Group of Companies, I also own two wellness companies, BioLife Health and Wellness, and BioLife Farms. BioLife was developed as a direct response to health problems I’d witnessed in my community. Unfortunately, obesity, diabetes, and hypertension are huge issues that affect Caribbean communities, though they’re certainly not isolated to this community. BioLife provides organic nutritional supplements aimed at helping individuals achieve optimal health, improve their energy and immunity, and a much healthier life by giving the body vitamins and minerals it needs. My other company, BioLife Farms provides premium, THC-Free, CBD products. Our all-natural product line utilizes only the best ingredients and is carefully tested to ensure quality and consistency all at a reasonable price. 

What is the motivation behind all that you do? 

DA: I believe that we can achieve everything that we can imagine. I believe that hard work is the only road to success. And that success is an iterative process that comes when you learn from failure and are not afraid of it. I believe that we are all linked, and working together is instrumental to our constant improvement. I believe that information is power, and with that power, you can control and design a life you love. For that reason, I believe it is my life’s purpose to help others by equipping them with the power to change their lives. The key is to stay focused and positive regardless of the challenges and obstacles we encounter and play the cards we have been dealt to the best of our ability.