Black Elites

Founders. Visionaries. Industry Leaders.

Discover the people building enduring companies and shaping the future of business. Through in-depth interviews, founder stories, business playbooks, and behind-the-scenes insights, Black Elites Profiles explores the journeys, strategies, and lessons of entrepreneurs and executives creating the next generation of category-defining brands.

In Profile

After the NBA: John Celestand’s Journey Into Media Leadership 

John Celestand won an NBA championship, but he didn’t spend the rest of his life coasting on it. He didn’t lock himself into a forever career in front of the camera, either. After nearly a...

When Cars Became Software, Olabisi Boyle Was Already There

For decades, the formula for reaching the top in automotive was simple: master engineering, manufacturing, and product development. Brand strategy and customer experience were someone else’s...

How Buying His First Stock at 30 Led Stanley Rameau to Build Renavest

Every investor has an origin story: the stock that flipped a switch somewhere in their head. Stanley Rameau’s switch flipped late. He was 30 when he bought his first share. Not 22. Not fresh out...

The John W. Thompson Playbook: Three rules, two turnarounds, and $1.5 trillion in Created Value

In February 2014, Microsoft was a company in crisis. The tech giant had lost its innovative edge, was missing the mobile revolution, and was perceived as having a toxic, siloed culture. The board had...

How Adebayo Ogunlesi Built a $100B Empire From Essential Assets

Few people thought an airport needed reinventing. In 2009, in the bleak aftermath of the global financial crisis, London’s Gatwick Airport was put up for sale. A Competition Commission order had...

Tristan Walker’s Education and the Lessons That Shaped His Career

Tristan Walker’s story is often framed through the lens of startups: Foursquare, Andreessen Horowitz, Walker & Company, Bevel, Procter & Gamble, and influence in boardrooms. However, the true...

Before ‘Michael’: Who Is Jaafar Jackson and How Did He Land the Role?

When Michael, the 2026 biographical drama about Michael Jackson’s life and legacy, opened globally on April 24, one name quickly became the focus of conversation: Jaafar Jackson. Not only was he...

Erin Jackson, The First Black Woman To Win Winter Olympic Gold

Erin Jackson, the American speed skater from Ocala, Florida, made Winter Olympic history as the first Black woman to win an individual gold medal at the Winter Olympic Games, which continues to...

Shirley Raines, Founder of Beauty 2 The Streetz, Dies at 58

Shirley Raines, the founder and chief executive officer of the nonprofit Beauty 2 The Streetz, has died at the age of 58, the organization announced Wednesday on Instagram. Her family and the...