Black Elites

Founders. Startups. The making of enduring companies.

Playbooks, teardowns and interviews from the operators building the next generation of category-defining brands.

In Entrepreneurship

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Turns 48: The Writer Who Changed How We Tell Stories

Today, Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie celebrates her 48th birthday. As a journalist who has followed her career, I can say she’s one of the most important writers of our time. Why She...

Shaquille O’Neal Launches First-Ever Fragrance with JCPenney

Basketball legend and entrepreneur Shaquille O’Neal has expanded his business empire into the fragrance industry, debuting his first self-titled scent, Shaquille O’Neal, in partnership with JCPenney...

Kenny Clark: From San Bernardino Roots to NFL Defensive Force

When the Dallas Cowboys pulled off the blockbuster trade for Micah Parsons in August 2025, one name in the deal carried both weight and experience, Kenny Clark. For nearly a decade, Clark was the...

How Black Entrepreneurs Can Win Startup Grants: 10 Insider Tips

For many Black founders, raising capital remains one of the toughest barriers to growth. Venture capital still overwhelmingly flows to white-owned businesses, and traditional bank loans often come...

Meet Toni Townes-Whitley, the First Black Woman to Head a U.S. Defense Industry Giant

Toni Townes-Whitley has carved her name into history as one of the few Black women to lead a Fortune 500 company and the first to head a corporation in the U.S. defense industry. In 2023, she was...

From Prison to Purpose: Topeka K. Sam Helps Incarcerated Women Reentering Society

Topeka Kimberly Sam, an American advocate for criminal justice reform, has transformed her life from one marked by incarceration to one defined by activism and impact. Once sentenced to over 10 years...

How David P. Bozeman Went from Factory Floor to CEO of C.H. Robinson

When David P. Bozeman stepped into the role of President and Chief Executive Officer at C.H. Robinson in June 2023, he brought more than three decades of leadership experience, he brought a reputation...

Rachel Moré-Oshodi: The Woman Behind Africa’s $7 Billion Infrastructure Revolution

Growing up between the structured suburbs of Europe and the strained cities of Nigeria, Rachel Moré-Oshodi developed a dual awareness of the world, one of abundance and one of absence. “In Europe...

How Michael Eric Dyson Turned Struggles into a Fight for Racial Justice

Michael Eric Dyson’s journey to becoming one of America’s most influential intellectuals was not without its struggles. Behind the accolades and the media appearances lies a story of personal and...