Kwame’s roots in Denver run deep. He was born at Rose Hospital on Denver's east side and was raised in the Montclair neighborhood. As the proud son of a father who spent his career working for the City, and a mother who began her career as a teacher and rose through the ranks to become an assistant superintendent of Denver Public Schools, Kwame was raised to value public service. It was his parents’ work, seeing the difference it made in the lives of citizens and the community, that motivated Kwame’s lifelong commitment to serve his community. Service, helping others, was not just a slogan – it was a way of life for the Spearman family.

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Kwame owes his success to Denver Public Schools and is a proud graduate of East High School. From there, he went on to excel at Columbia University, where he served as class president. Before he became CEO of the Tattered Cover, Kwame earned degrees from Yale Law School and Harvard Business School, launching his career in business and entrepreneurship. Kwame was fortunate to have such supportive parents, and he gives great credit to Denver’s public schools, and the neighborhood he grew up in, for launching his later successes as a Denver business owner.