Reported by Asia Alexander
A
ll eyes are on Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia this week as Forbes hosts the third annual ForbesBLK Summit—a powerful gathering of Black changemakers, innovators and leaders shaping the future of business and culture.
“As we dive in today, just remember the Summit isn’t just about exchanging ideas. It’s about creating real and meaningful connections,” said Ayisha Mendez, community manager of ForbesBLK, welcoming the audience. “It’s about sharing those ideas and making sure we push forward as a collective in a time where collaboration and innovation are more important than ever.”
Before attendees gathered for a day of panels and firesides, ForbesBLK members spent Wednesday volunteering across Atlanta, giving back to the community through local service projects that reflected the Summit’s mission of empowerment and connection.
With the theme “Today’s Challenges, Tomorrow’s Opportunity: A New Path to Economic Prosperity,” the Summit challenges Black business leaders to chart what’s next as entrepreneurship and creativity continue to shape global culture.
Serial Founder Emma Grede Built A Multi-Million Dollar Empire, Starting With A Sandwich
“Life has chapters,” said Emma Grede during a fireside chat with Jabari Young, senior writer at Forbes and editorial lead for ForbesBLK.
Grede, now founding partner and chief product officer of Skims, shared how her career started with a moment of everyday excellence. “I got my first work experience because I made the best sandwich,” she said. “A woman who worked in fashion PR, Alex Silver, used to come in and wait for me to make hers. One day she said, ‘I’m going to wait for that girl,’ and that’s how I got my start. Whatever you do, approach it with excellence.”
She added that the same mindset continues to guide her success. “I think I operate on a set of principles, and one of my principles is to always be in learning mode, because you don’t know what you don’t know,” she said. “More than anything, it’s about flexibility — flexibility of thought, flexibility of style, flexibility to open your mind and figure out what might be the next big thing.”
Named one of America’s Richest Self-Made Women by Forbes in 2025, Grede is worth an estimated $405 million. Most of her fortune comes from Skims, but she is also the CEO and cofounder of denim brand Good American, which made history with a $1 million launch day in 2016.
Beyond Skims and Good American, Grede’s ventures include Frame, Cakes Body, and collaborations with the NFL, Fanatics and Kristin Juszczyk. She also sits on the Obama Foundation board and hosts her podcast Aspire with Emma Grede.
AI Can’t Afford Bias—And Neither Can We
Moderated by Forbes Senior Law Editor Liane Jackson, the AI panel at this year’s ForbesBLK Summit brought together leading voices to explore how artificial intelligence is transforming industries, ethics, and opportunity.
“AI is transforming industry, it’s transforming business, it’s transforming the world,” Jackson said as she opened the conversation. Her words rang true but as the discussion unfolded, panelists also examined the technology’s challenges, particularly the issue of bias.
“There’s no room for bias,” said Brian Laung Aoaeh, reflecting on how AI must remain accurate and transparent as it integrates into complex systems.
For Candace Mitchell, the discussion was deeply personal. As CEO of Myavana, a beauty-tech company that uses “hair AI” to analyze textured hair and recommend personalized care products. She’s seen firsthand how data can drive inclusion. “We need to be the ones that are creating and managing these data sets,” she said. Mitchell explained that her company’s technology was built by Black women scientists and cosmetologists. She created the largest database of textured and multicultural hair data—proving that when Black women lead in tech, representation becomes innovation.
Together, the panelists painted a picture of an AI-driven future grounded in responsibility, diversity and human purpose.
Flying Cars By 2050? The Future Of Travel May Be Closer Than You Think
“Soon, maybe in 30 years or so, there will be flying cars,” said Forbes Senior Writer Jabari Young, opening the Future of Transportation panel at the ForbesBLK Summit. He referenced a Morgan Stanley estimate valuing the urban air mobility market at $9 trillion by 2050, noting that the future of travel is already taking shape.
The conversation featured Josh Aviv, founder and CEO of SparkCharge and Sondra Sutton Phung, General Manager of Global Truck at Ford Motor Company. Both agreed that innovation must be paired with access and safety. “The future is electric,” said Aviv, emphasizing that electrification is not a trend but a transition already underway. Phung added, “What I see in the future is absolutely a flying car… It’s not a matter of can it be done, it’s about when it will be done and what infrastructure will be required to actually make it happen.”
The panel also examined how shifting government policies could shape EV adoption. “When we think about electrification here in the United States, the first thing we did was make it very political instead of focusing on the dollar and the penny,” Aviv said. “Owning an electric vehicle saves money—it’s low maintenance, cheaper to fuel, and the experience is better than owning a gas vehicle.” He added that fleets, too, are increasingly switching to EVs because of the lower costs. “On a global scale,” Aviv concluded, “we’re playing defense instead of offense, but electrification isn’t slowing down—it’s only gaining ground.”
How Bermuda’s Premier David Burt Is Steering A Small Nation Toward Big Innovation
“We’re down the street from the Mercedes-Benz Stadium. You could fit the entire population of my country inside that football stadium — we’re that small,” Premier David Burt, who is the youngest leader in the history of Bermuda, said in conversation with Ali Jackson-Jolley, Assistant Managing Editor for DEI at Forbes. “But the reality is that allows us to move very quickly. And so, we learn lessons early on.”
Burt serves as the head of the executive branch for the country. International business and tourism remain Bermuda’s top economic drivers, with the re-insurance industry covering substantial liabilities in the United States.
He outlined several initiatives driving Bermuda’s growth, including a mortgage-guarantee program to help first-time buyers, reduced interest rates, and policies aimed at fairness. “You cut taxes for low-wage earners, you increase taxes for high-wage earners, you introduce a minimum wage, and you provide daycare for working parents,” he said. “The reality is, it works.” Bermuda recently achieved its first balanced budget surplus in 23 years and a record number of Bermudians working in high-tech and finance fields.
For other small nations, Burt’s message was clear: stay intentional and embrace innovation. “I am incredibly passionate that digital finance is going to change the way the world works — the way we exchange value and raise money,” he said. “Once people feel and sense the confidence and buy into your vision, then those companies do come.”
Googling Your Feelings? Experts Warn AI Isn’t Always the Answer
During the Unspoken: Black Mental Health Unfiltered session, panelists explored the growing role of artificial intelligence in mental health — both as a lifeline and a liability. The panel included Derek Anderson, Founder and President of the Stamina Foundation; Dr. Judith Joseph, Psychiatrist and Author; and Latham Thomas, Founder of Mama Glow. The discussion was moderated by Ayisha Mendez, Community Manager at ForbesBLK.
Recent data shows that 36% of Gen Z and millennials are open to or already using AI for mental health care, and 48% of youth say seeking professional help would be their last resort.
Dr. Judith Joseph, a psychiatrist and researcher, shared how AI can sometimes do more harm than good. “I saw a patient the other day — I’ll disguise the case — but they came in saying they thought they were depressed because they searched, ‘I feel off,’ and AI told them depression could be caused by sleep issues,” she said. “So they started taking over-the-counter medicine, and it turned out the medication was actually causing brain fog and cognitive issues. It can be very dangerous — but the reality is, that’s where they’re getting their information.”
As the discussion turned to solutions, mental health advocate Derek Anderson said the focus must move from awareness to action. “Your mental wellness, which I call mental wellness, is like a diet. If you don’t put a full plan for diet, you ain’t going to work,” he said.
Dr. Joseph closed the session by offering a framework for emotional wellness called the Fives, which centers on validation, venting, values, vitals, and vision. “Joy is built into your DNA,” she said. “You just have to learn how to reclaim it.”
Fashion As Protest, Power and Pride—How Black Designers Are Redefining Luxury
Fashion in the Black community has long been more than self-expression — it’s been a form of protest, pride and power. At the ForbesBLK Summit, Antoine Gregory, founder of Black Fashion Fair; Brandon Blackwood, founder and CEO of Brandon Blackwood New York; and Janee’ Naylor, founder of 12 P.M. Studios, joined Forbes’ Ali Jackson-Jolley to discuss how they’re redefining luxury and community through fashion.
“Realizing that it gave people strength and it gave people strength when there wasn’t space for them to say how they felt,” Gregory said. “When you look at the civil rights movement, dressing was a big part of making it look like we were very respectful people. Through history, the Black Panthers used aesthetics when they weren’t allowed to protest, and these T-shirts became forms of protest.”
Naylor is the founder of a luxury Eyewear brand. “Fashion is like my armor,” she said.. “People are getting priced out of the ability to feel confident. Luxury isn’t just about a high price point but quality, experience and inclusion. Everyone deserves to experience it.”
Blackwood, who owns 100% of his company and is celebrating 10 years in business, said independence remains key to his success. “Not having investors has been great because I can do whatever I want,” he said. “Everything you see — activations, collections — is fully funded by my customers. They’re my investors.”
Gregory also addressed how Black designers are often held to stricter standards. “If it comes to a Black-owned brand, you want the Black-owned brand to prove themselves to you,” he said. “We don’t require that of anyone else but each other.”
He added that the diversity wave of 2020 has since faded. “We saw this big wave of support — but it was a ‘we see you’ moment, not a ‘we’ll build with you’ moment.”
Blackwood closed by crediting his success to the people who believe in him. “It’s very apparent that community is the reason my brand exists,” he said. “There’s always a responsibility, especially being a Black, queer designer, because you’re always under a microscope especially the more popular you become.”
Stephen A. Smith for President 2028?
Stephen A. Smith, the outspoken sports commentator, author and host of The Stephen A. Smith Show, has built a career on confidence, candor and conviction. Known for his fiery takes and relentless drive, Smith brought that same energy to the ForbesBLK Summit — where talk of a potential presidential run stirred the crowd.
“I believe I can beat them all,” said Stephen A. Smith when asked if he would run for president in 2028 . “It is very unlikely, but I leave the door open.” If he ever ran, he said his running mate would be “Wes Moore of Maryland or Josh Shapiro,” and his campaign slogan would be “Buckle up.”
Jabari Young introduced Smith on stage as his mentor. He took the audience down memory lane as he showed his appreciation to the man that influenced his career. “Stephen A. Smith is the reason I am here right now,” he said. Then Smith joined Randall Lane, Chief Content Officer at Forbes, on stage where they talked about his views on race, and his rise to becoming one of the most recognizable voices in sports and media.
“Racism is a part of life,” Smith said. “It exists and you know it exists, but you can’t pay attention to it because it’s not going away.” He compared racial inequity to the saying, “If white folks catch a cold, Black folks catch pneumonia,” explaining that it’s always harder for Black people. But he emphasized perseverance over defeat: “You don’t become fixated on the obstacles that stand in your way. You look at them and say, ‘How do I overcome it?’”
Smith also reflected on his work ethic and brand. “I’m fearless in pursuit of my aspirations and of excellence,” he said. “My mentality is to shoot for the stars and you’ll catch something.”
And when asked about legacy, he kept it simple: “I want my legacy to be that I didn’t forget us—that I made sure to reach back, provide a helping hand, and to make sure that I was true to my word when I said Jay-Z, Shaq and Lebron and people like that, that’s a pipe dream. You can’t be them. They’re 1 in 1,000,000,000 shot. But you can be Stephen A. Smith.”
Andre Dickens Kicks Off Day 2 of ForbesBLK Summit
“Welcome to the A, everybody,” Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said, greeting the crowd on Day 2 of the ForbesBLK Summit at Morehouse College.
The morning opened with Jabari Young, senior writer and editorial lead for ForbesBLK, who introduced Dickens with a lighthearted story about the two getting stranded together on a trip after an airline unexpectedly went bankrupt. The laughter that followed set an upbeat tone for the day.
Before a packed audience on the historic Morehouse campus, Dickens reflected on Atlanta’s legacy as the “epicenter of Black excellence.” He paid tribute to former Black mayors and civil rights leaders, including Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a Morehouse alumnus, and Maynard Jackson, the city’s first Black mayor.
“Atlanta’s history is full of people who saw a need and obstacles and took that as an invitation to get to work,” Dickens said. “If anybody is built for this moment, we are built for this.”
He emphasized that Atlanta thrives because of its innovation, collaboration and community spirit. “Economic prosperity is not at the exclusion of a domain for just a privileged few,” he said. “It’s for us to be inclusive and to raise up as we climb.”
Before closing, Dickens encouraged attendees to take advantage of the opportunities to connect and invest in the city. “Atlanta is open for business,” he said. “We’re helping minority entrepreneurs with everything from grants to low-cost loans and for us to partner together in my administration. Let’s have a great time as we enjoy this ForbesBLK Summit.”
Robert F. Smith Champions Economic Freedom
Billionaire philanthropist Robert F. Smith returned to Morehouse College for the ForbesBLK Summit, where he discussed the importance of capital and how his company, Vista Equity Partners, is adapting to new technology. The conversation was moderated by Jabari Young, senior writer and editorial lead for ForbesBLK.
According to Forbes, Smith is worth about $10 billion and ranks No. 123 on the Forbes 400.
“Seventy-five percent of Black communities don’t have branch banks in their neighborhood,” Smith said. “If you don’t have a digital capacity to manage loans at scale, then you can’t deliver that money.”
He explained how the Student Freedom Initiative — conceived after he paid off the student debt for Morehouse College’s 2019 graduating class — has evolved into a long-term model for economic mobility. When Smith first partnered with the Southern Communities Initiative, he aimed to help establish banking infrastructures in select Southern cities through locally led and sustainable programs. He said the initiative and similar efforts in five other cities have unlocked between $6 million and $30 million in new lending.
Reflecting on his upbringing in what he called an all-Black “beloved community,” Smith described the values that shaped his worldview. “If you wanted to learn to play piano, you went to Mrs. Buckner’s house. If you wanted to be a carpenter, you went to Mr. Robbins,” he said. “My mom would make us check out 10 books, and we had to read those 10 books that week in addition to the school work.”
He emphasized the importance of protecting progress and honoring legacy. “It’s important that we maintain those rights — the right to vote, the right to be educated, the right to live anywhere you want, to marry who you want,” Smith said. “All those are important rights that were hard fought by people who led the charge out of this community, out of Atlanta.”
Turning to the future, Smith spoke about the role of artificial intelligence in closing opportunity gaps. “You have to understand and embrace this technology,” he said, noting that the Student Freedom Initiative offers free online coursework in AI and other subjects. “Be more entrepreneurial. Take more risks. Build relationships. Invest in each other and in yourself to create businesses that can change the direction of your life .”
He also urged attendees to challenge traditional thinking about success. “Be a more effective entrepreneur. Encourage people to take risks,” he said. “One of the things in our community that is important is for us to take more risks, to become more entrepreneurial. My generation was truly a generation of ‘Get educated so you can go get a job.’ And you know, I got lots of criticism from my family about leaving my job to start a business, but I think we have to change that narrative more in our community to say be more entrepreneurial. Take more risks. Build relationships.”
Alden and Todd McDonald: Generational Wealth in Action
Alden McDonald Jr., CEO of Liberty Bank, the largest Black-owned bank in America, and his son, Todd McDonald, the bank’s incoming CEO, joined Jabari Young, senior writer and editorial lead for ForbesBLK, to discuss Black wealth, Hurricane Katrina and the future of community banking.
McDonald, who founded Liberty in 1972 after being recruited by Dr. Norman C. Francis, reflected on his journey. “I turned him down three times,” he said. “I didn’t know whether I was ready to run a bank. I was 29 years old.”
He said his passion came from wanting to help people achieve what his family could not. “My dad was a waiter. We didn’t own a house, and my passion at that point was, how do I help people buy a house with no money down?”
That mission became Liberty Bank’s foundation. “Back then, banks didn’t make loans to people of color,” he said. “So my passion and my mission was to serve the community, grow the community, and the community wrapped their arms around us and helped us grow.”
Liberty Bank has been profitable 48 of its 52 years, with only one disruption — Hurricane Katrina. “We lost everything,” McDonald said. “We had to look for an opportunity from that obstacle, and we made it back the first year afterward in a better place than before.”
Todd McDonald, who will take over the bank’s leadership, said he has yet to watch the HULU documentary on the tragic event. “We started acquiring field banks, because right in 2005 was Hurricane Katrina, but right behind that was the financial crisis. My dad’s saying, ‘when there’s an obstacle, take the O and make it into an opportunity,’ is very real.”
Alden McDonald also underscored Liberty’s commitment to financial education. “We’re going beyond teaching people how to open a bank account,” he said. “We’re going to educate our community on what to do with their retirement program, what to do with their 401(k).”
Todd McDonald said the focus is clear as the next generation prepares to lead. “It’s an honor to be a banker because you are helping change people’s lives by the stroke of a pen,” he said.
The Hustle Is Personal: Entrepreneurs On Owning The Brand And The Story
“Gone are the days where you buy a product and you have no idea who’s behind it. You couldn’t even name them,” said Asahi Pompey, who oversees Goldman Sachs’ community impact initiatives like One Million Black Women. “Now we want to know who’s behind that product, and we want to direct our funding there. That’s one of the macro trends that we’re seeing across entrepreneurs.”
Pompey’s observation rang especially true given the powerhouse lineup joining her on stage for a panel moderated by Forbes Under 30 reporter Zoya Hasan: musician and entrepreneur Earl “E-40” Stevens, Slutty Vegan founder Pinky Cole, and Honey Pot’s Bea Dixon.
For Cole, building a brand with a strong personal identity has never been more important. After launching Slutty Vegan in 2018 and rapidly scaling it into a multi-location sensation, she recently faced a major setback. Mounting debt outpaced revenue, triggering a company-wide restructuring and forcing the brand onto the market. “I had the super popular company. It’s a household name. Everybody loved my brand,” Cole said. “And I look up and I’m like, ‘Damn, I’m about to be a Netflix documentary if I don’t fix this fast.’” She pulled off a turnaround, securing funds to buy back her business. Now, she’s relaunching it as Slutty Vegan 2.0.
At the other end of the entrepreneurial spectrum was Dixon, who last year sold 85% of Honey Pot in a $380 million all-cash deal—turning down even higher offers for the sake of alignment and retaining a say in the business. “Whoever you take money from, y’all go together,” she said. Dixon urged aspiring founders to take risks, identify problems and build bold solutions—like she did with Honey Pot. “It takes you breaking the rules to break through and do something that’s never been done before,” she said.
No one understands the power of personal brand quite like E-40. But he’s quick to point out that celebrity alone doesn’t make a business.“A lot of celebrities that have their own brands, or they might be the brand ambassador of a brand. Some of them don’t take it serious,” he said. “You got to get out there and push that thing. That’s how you get that billion.”
Today, Stevens runs an expansive food and beverage empire: more than 17 wines under his Earl Stevens Selections label, multiple liquors, the Goon With The Spoon food brand—offering sausages, burritos, and six flavors of ice cream—and part ownership of The Lumpia Company. He’s even published a cookbook under the Goon With The Spoon name.
“It’s always good when you make revenue off something you love to do,” he said, urging the crowd to fully leverage social media. “We got to start using this free advertisement. It can work against you and it can work for you. It just depends on how you play your game. So use your socials to the fullest.”
How Black Founders Can Scale
Investors and entrepreneurs shared insights on navigating the venture capital landscape during a conversation featuring Melissa Bradley, general partner at BEA Venture Fund, and Hannah Bronfman, creator, investor and activist, moderated by Liane Jackson, senior law editor at Forbes.
“Venture capital is not patient capital,” said Bradley. “It is focused on scale. People can grow a business and people can scale a business — they are two very different things.”
Bradley, who also leads 1863 Ventures and appears on the ForbesBLK 50 list, offered advice to founders on understanding their market. “Know your customers. And it can’t just be people like us. No disrespect,” she said, adding that “all skin folk are not kinfolk,” and founders should make sure their businesses appeal to a broader audience.
Bronfman emphasized that investors should bring more than just money. “We’re strategic partners,” she said. “ We’re helping you know, we’re helping operate. We’re opening doors to distribution. We’re giving you cultural fluency. We’re giving you access.”
The panel discussed how venture capital requires speed, preparation and accountability. It also highlighted how the right partnership can turn capital into long-term impact.
Don Peebles on Risk and Reward
Don Peebles, founder and chief executive officer of The Peebles Corporation, was introduced by singer-songwriter and actor Tyrese Gibson before joining Randall Lane, Forbes’ chief content officer, for a conversation about legacy, opportunity and building wealth through ownership.
“I learned from my mother,” Peebles said. “My mother had me when she was 19 years old. She had bigger dreams — she got her real-estate sales license, started a brokerage business, worked at Fannie Mae. But as a Black woman in America in the late 1960s and early ’70s, it was very challenging for her.”
Watching her perseverance, he said, pushed him to pursue ownership. “I saw the injustice she confronted,” Peebles said. “It inspired me to want to be on the other side of the equation so that I could make a difference.”
Peebles began his career in Washington, D.C., under then-Mayor Marion Barry and built his first building at 26. “I thought there was no limitation to what my dreams were,” he said. “With some hard work and the willingness to take some risk, I had nothing to lose.”
He recalled a setback early in his career. “While I had the votes on the city council, ultimately Barry lost his nerve and he pulled my deal,” Peebles said. “I was 34, my son was just born, and I thought, here I was, $58 million less expensive — and I can’t win. That means there’s not going to be a fair opportunity for me here.”
That realization led him to new opportunities. While vacationing in Miami Beach with his wife for their anniversary, Peebles read a newspaper article about the city seeking a developer to build the nation’s first African American-owned hotel in South Beach. The story caught his attention. “I saw it as an opportunity for a Black developer to take on a project of that scale,” he said. “By June of 1996, we had won the rights to build the Royal Palm Hotel.”
“It’s about making a difference and being part of change,” Peebles said.
Turning Creativity Into Opportunity
Wyclef Jean and Everette Taylor shared how creativity and imagination shaped their journeys. The discussion, moderated by Ali Jackson- Jolly, Assistant Managing Editor of DEI at Forbes, explored how both men turned culture into capital.
As kids Jean remembers playing the game “ I’m going to America” with the kids in the local community. The game essentially gave the kids a sense of hope. He went around on his imaginary friend “Boo Boo the donkey” and pretended to bring gifts back to all of the children.
“I was raised in extreme poverty behind a cemetery,” Jean said, recalling his childhood in Haiti. “Your greatest gift is your imagination. Once you can’t dream and you can’t imagine — that’s when it’s over.”
Taylor, CEO of Kickstarter, said creativity gave him direction growing up on the south side of Richmond, Virginia. Kickstarter is an online crowdfunding platform that helps creators raise money for their ideas. “My imagination was through creativity,” he said.
“When I think about marketing, I always think about human connection — the beauty of storytelling,” Taylor said. “Everyone feels heartbreak, love and anger. Those emotions connect us, no matter where we come from.”
Both agreed that innovation depends on evolution. “Rules are limitations,” Taylor said. “Every day has to be an evolution,” Jean added.
The Rollercoaster Journey of Kandi Burruss
For the final panel of the ForbesBLK Summit, multifaceted businesswoman Kandi Burruss graced the stage to share her journey and the lessons learned along the way. The Atlanta native—known as a singer, songwriter, actress, producer, and entrepreneur—has built a career that spans more than three decades. The panel was moderated by Jabari Young, , senior writer and editorial lead for ForbesBLK.
“I feel like this year has been transitional,” Burruss said. “I started the year off on fire… everything was on point, and then somewhere around six or seven months in, I was like, ‘Wait, what is going on? What is life?’ What’s happening in life?’… But now I feel like I’m getting back to my best self.”
An Atlanta icon, Burruss proudly declared, “I am so ATL,” reflecting on how her upbringing shaped her foundation. She shared memories of attending church conventions with her father’s side of the family while being raised mostly around her mother’s side—“Mama Joyce,” as fans know her from The Real Housewives of Atlanta.
She recalled the times her mom would drive by expensive neighborhoods in hope of one day owning one. “The neighborhood I live in is one of the neighborhoods I used to drive past every day that we couldn’t get in because of the gate.”
When asked to describe her career in one word, Burruss didn’t hesitate: “Rollercoaster.”
“Throughout my career, sometimes I’ve had really, really high highs, and then it dips down,” she said. “And then, you know, on a roller coaster, it dips down. But I just stay on the journey. So it comes back up. ”
That determination has carried her through music, television, Broadway, and business. Still, she admits entrepreneurship has its challenges. “Out of all the businesses that I’ve done, the restaurant industry was the hardest and has been the hardest—the biggest headache,” she said. “It depends so much on the people that are working for you, and since COVID, it’s been high turnover in the service industry.”
Despite the challenges, she takes pride in what she’s built. “My goal was to one day be able to say I employed at least 100 people—and I did that,” she said with a smile.
Through it all, Burruss continues to evolve, embodying the drive and creativity that define Atlanta’s entrepreneurial spirit. As she put it, “I’m always working on my next move while I’m on my current move.”