ATLANTA — Forbes, the business magazine, announced a new business initiative for Black business owners coming to Atlanta in early November.
The announcement, made Tuesday morning alongside Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, was led by members of the ForbesBLK professional community.
ForbesBLK was formed by the magazine alongside multiple Black business leaders, creators, and entrepreneurs to provide equity, education, and connection for professionals and leaders of color, according to Forbes.
The November event will be the first ForbesBLK Summit, intended to bring together members of the Black business community who are creating a more equitable world, Forbes said in an announcement.
The summit is scheduled to be held in Atlanta on November 5-6. It’ll be themed as “The Future of Black Entrepreneurialism: Convening Culture, Creativity and Community,” according to the announcement.
“We are thrilled to announce Forbes is hosting its first-ever Forbes BLK Summit in Atlanta. We are the city that’s synonymous with Black excellence,” Dickens said. “Atlanta is the perfect place to host an inaugural event that is so timely, progressive and connected to culture.”
Forbes said Atlanta is an innovation hub for Black entrepreneurs, businesses, entertainers, and creators, sitting as the number one Black entrepreneurial center and startup ecosystem for “convening the world’s most innovative leaders who are changing business, culture and society.”
The magazine also described the city of Atlanta as having a goal to be the “go-to market for Black professionals,” which aligns with the ForbesBLK mission.
Multiple speakers have already been confirmed for the November event.
ForbesBLK editorial lead Jabari Young said the summit would extend what Forbes is trying to build as a platform.
“It’s no secret the city of Atlanta is the core foundation of the ForbesBLK community and it’s the perfect home to host and celebrate our inaugural ForbesBLK Summit,” Young said.
A list provided by ForbesBLK included:
- John Hope Bryant, CEO, Operation Hope
- Ron Busby Sr., President & CEO, U.S. Black Chambers, Inc.
- Shelly Cayette, Chief Commercial Officer, Cleveland Cavaliers
- Tamira Chapman, President & CEO, Storehouse
- Phylicia Fant, Head of Music Industry and Culture Collaborations, Amazon
- Dr. Debra Furr-Holden, Dean of Global Public Health, NYU
- Milt Newton, Assistant General Manager, Milwaukee Bucks
- Nicole Pullen Ross, NY Region Head of Private Wealth Management, Goldman Sachs
- Isiah Thomas, Former NBA Player, Philanthropist, and Chairman & CEO of Isiah International LLC