Black Elites

Markets, capital and the companies redefining the global economy.

Deep reporting on the deals, firms and industries where the next chapter of wealth is being written.

In business

How Morgan DeBaun Identified an Overlooked Market and Raised More Than $12 Million to Build Blavity 

In 2015, Black Americans had nearly $1.2 trillion in buying power. By 2016, Nielsen estimated that about 11.5 million Black millennials lived in the United States. Despite their economic influence and...

How to Build a Professional Network With No Connections

You’ve heard the advice a hundred times: “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” But what if you don’t know anyone? What if your family doesn’t have...

Why Trevor Rozier-Byrd Left a Secure Wall Street Career to Build a $3.5 Million Fintech Startup

Trevor Rozier-Byrd left a secure Wall Street career to solve a problem he believed traditional finance had failed to address: helping underserved communities build wealth through investing. Most...

How Felecia Hatcher Built an Ecosystem That Unlocked $280 Million for Underrepresented Founders

The founders supported through Felecia Hatcher’s ecosystem have gone on to raise more than $280 million in capital. Yet Hatcher has never argued that funding is the real problem. She believes...

How Shegun Otulana Is Using a $1.25 Billion Exit to Build the Next Wave of Tech Companies

Most entrepreneurs spend years chasing a billion-dollar exit. Once they reach this goal, many move away from the demands of building companies. The typical approach is straightforward: invest quietly...

Inside Richard Parsons’ Turnaround of Time Warner Following the Failed $165 Billion AOL-Time Warner Merger

Richard Parsons took over a company struggling from one of corporate America’s worst mergers. By the end of 2002, AOL Time Warner reported what was then the largest annual corporate loss in U.S...

How Christopher J. Williams Built a Firm That Helped Underwrite Over $330 Billion in Corporate Offerings

Christopher J. Williams recognized an opportunity where others saw a closed market. In 2001, he founded The Williams Capital Group with a strategy focused on institutional transactions, with expertise...

Which US Grant Fits Your Black-Owned Business? A No-Guess Breakdown

Finding a grant is one thing. Finding the right grant is another. A restaurant owner looking for funds to buy kitchen equipment should not spend three days applying for a technology accelerator. A...

From a $280 Million Restructuring to a $43 Billion Investment Firm: Kenneth Chenault’s Leadership Journey

Few corporate leaders take control of a global company just months before a crisis threatens its business. Kenneth Chenault’s Leadership Journey can be traced to when he became CEO of American Express...