Author: Alan Hughes

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Access to capital – whether through banking or investment – is a longstanding challenge for Black entrepreneurs looking to scale their enterprises. But some much-needed capital is entering the marketplace following a $400 million commitment from billionaire investor, L.A. Clippers owner and Detroit native Steve Ballmer.  The former Microsoft CEO, who according to net worth Fortune magazine has a net worth of $76.9 billion, announced that he would allocate $400 million to investment firms Goldman Sachs, Fairview Capital, JPMorgan Chase, Ariel Investment and GCM Grosvenor. These firms would, in

America continues to plod the course toward a clean energy nation – albeit glacially. Though hampered by an aging infrastructure and other factors, widespread clean energy – or power that does not, in its generation and consumption, add pollution or contribute to climate change – appears to be a certainty. Unfortunately, this particular scenario could lead to yet another great divide for African Americans. As the world slowly moves toward increased clean energy generation, a gap is widening and hindering African Americans positioning themselves to benefit from the

Marine Vet Leon Richardson Improvising and Adapting to Overcome Supply Chain Challenges Leon Richardson’s eight years of exemplary service in the United States Marine Corps and the rigors of military training have proven to be invaluable in preparing him  him for the rollercoaster ride that comes with entrepreneurship. But the president and CEO of Chemico Group, a Southfield, Michigan-based chemical management service provider, is tapping into those lessons learned and leveraging his military acumen to fight back against the pandemic’s impact on business and supply chain challenges to

Whether working in academia, a municipal, state or federal department or within Corporate America, Black employees contributing to their retirement plans have one thing in common: their retirement assets are managed almost entirely by people who look nothing like them. And this longstanding dynamic is draining wealth from Black communities. The asset management industry, one of the remaining bastions of the old boy network, is not only frighteningly non-diverse at the upper levels, but those professionals of color within the industry find themselves struggling to raise capital from

As internet usage has become a routine activity, so has the mining, analyzing and monetizing of personal information – much of it done without the individuals’ knowledge. According to a Gallup poll, two-thirds of employees in white-collar jobs work from home at least part of the time, meaning there is more activity and personal data in cyberspace than at any other time in history. Unsurprisingly, the cybersecurity industry has exploded. ResearchAndMarkets.com valued the global cybersecurity market at $183.34 billion in 2020 and predicts it will reach $539.78 billion

Jarvis Stewart admits he knew only a little about Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACS). While SPACS have been the rage on Wall Street in recent years, Stewart’s exposure to the financial markets was gained mainly through his longtime friends, which include Christopher Williams, Chairman of Siebert Williams Shank & Co., one of America’s largest minority-owned investment banks and Daniel Black, Managing Partner, The Wicks Group, a New York-based private equity firm. So, when he received a call just a year ago from an old client, a Canadian CEO

The last two years have resulted in a paradigm shift in the global workforce. The pandemic drastically changed behavioral norms– and businesses and employees alike had to adjust to the new rules of corporate America. Businesses had to identify ways to retain productive employees, particularly during the “Great Resignation of 2021 which saw thousands of employees exit the workforce to seek better working conditions, compensation, and opportunities. As corporations set up for remote working, they also engaged in culture work – having outside consultants perform a culture audit,

In response to the pandemic’s devastating impact on minority-owned businesses and the social justices that mainstream America woke up to last year, JPMorgan Chase announced a five-year $30 billion commitment in October 2020 to provide economic opportunity to Black and Latinx communities. That commitment to Minority Business Enterprises (MBE) includes greater access to capital, coaching, technical assistance and a pledge to boost spending with Black and Latinx suppliers by an additional $750 million.As the head of Advancing Black Pathways, a strategy aimed at strengthening the economic foundation