Photo by Danny Ghitis

Black Enterprise is a multimedia company with the mission to ensure that everyone can act on the opportunities this country has provided to so many. Our tagline is “Wealth for life.”

My father launched Black Enterprise in 1970 with a $175,000 loan. He always said there’s a surprising correlation between hard work and good luck.

Leading us through the pivot into the digital era has been gut-wrenching at times. People didn’t care about the 50 years of work that had come before. It was a process of dissolving while evolving.

In addition to our print magazine and events business, our digital platforms reach about 9.5 million unique visitors each month. We are now the number-one Black digital media brand.

Ten years ago, when we started our directory of African Americans sitting on Fortune 500 boards, 200 companies made the list. In 2021, that number was around 320. We’re raising awareness by making public information more public.

A big part of my job is to hold corporate America accountable to ensure DEI is more than a sideshow or a check-the-box commitment. Our goal is to help and assist, not to embarrass. I’m looking for a partnership.

Politicians and business people working together can address the wealth gap that exists in this country. It doesn’t require a PhD, but it does require a sense of moral obligation.

I believe if I can give you positive energy, you’ll return it. That’s the approach I bring to management and motivating others. Why would I walk around like all the red is licked off my lollipop?

Some of my best friends are basketball teammates from Yale—and not because we were champions. We didn’t win a damn thing, but we were each other’s best support mechanism. We put defeat in its proper context. Because there’s always another game tomorrow.

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