CBS Black Business Student Association

What do 85% of millionaires have in common? They own businesses, not just stocks. For many years, I have been curious about the most efficient way to build wealth starting with very little or nothing. As some may already know, I thought stock market participation was one of the best ways to build wealth. However, the problem is much of your ability to generate more wealth in the stock market is determined by: How much you can initially invest How many decades you can wait Factors largely outside your control One solution - buy an existing profitable business. Consider even Warren Buffett moved to buying private companies in addition to stocks after closing his initial investment fund. Further, over 85%+ of millionaires are business owners. Yesterday, I helped organize the CBS Black Business Student Association's Wealth Through Acquisition event. I had the privilege of listening to Allegra Stennett, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at New Majority Capital. Their mission: closing the wealth gap by increasing business ownership among underrepresented groups through acquisition. The results speak volumes: $76M+ in capital mobilized $45M+ in projected wealth generation Creating pathways to business ownership with lower initial capital requirements How is this possible with limited starting capital? SBA loans (requiring just 10-20% down payment) Seller financing (where the previous owner becomes your lender) Search funds (investors back your acquisition journey) Creative deal structuring with earnouts and performance-based payments This strategy can compress decades of wealth building into years by leveraging other people's money, existing cash flows, and proven business models. For those interested in exploring ETA, I recommend starting with resources like HBR Guide to Buying a Small Business (https://a.co/d/6Zv1622). If you would like to connect with CBS Black Business Student Association further, come attend our Elevate Conference this weekend! cbselevate.com #EntrepreneurshipThroughAcquisition #WealthBuilding #BusinessAcquisition #FinancialIndependence #NewMajorityCapital #BBSA #WealthGap #SearchFund #SBALoans

Allegra Stennett (New Majority Capital), Henry Brown (CapitalSpring), Harry Tsiagbe (Tornam Capital LLC) and Julien Ham-Ying (Mosaic ETA) will lead a discussion on "Black Wealth Through Acquisition: The Search Fund Path" on March 26 in connection with the Elevate Conference hosted by the Black Business Students Association at Columbia Business School (CBS Black Business Student Association): https://lnkd.in/gtmffQ49

Our Founder and CEO ⭐️ Sabrina Hannam Hannam is excited to speak alongside Chip Wade (Corporate Board Director for Cracker Barrel) and Wonya Lucas (Corporate Board Director for Comcast Atlanta Braves & Inspire and Board of Trustees of Sundance Institute) at the 2025 Elevate Conference, hosted at Columbia Business School! https://lnkd.in/eqxA4CJJ As a faculty member at Columbia University, Sabrina Hannam is humbled to partner in "Amplifying Purpose, Igniting Opportunity" with its most valuable assets, the beloved current student leaders of CBS Black Business Student Association. We have two complimentary tickets available to attend the duration of the 2 day conference, on a first-come first-served basis, if you send an email to the Boardswell team today.  2025 Elevate Conference – Register Now! Date: Friday, March  28th  at 6:30pm Location: Columbia Business School, New York City Register here: https://lnkd.in/eAf_8yfY Open to all professionals, business leaders, students, and community members looking to strengthen their business acumen!  Please spread the word. We hope to see you here!

The annual Elevate Conference is almost here, and we’re giving you an exclusive sneak peek at our incredible agenda! Get ready for 2 days filled with dynamic panels, impactful keynotes, and engaging fireside chats that will amplify your purpose and ignite unimaginable opportunities! Registration available at the link below: https://lnkd.in/eAf_8yfY

We could not be more proud of our scholars! 🩵 Fun Fact: Did you know, Robert presided over the BBSA during his time as a student at Columbia Business School?

As we close out Black History Month, we want to take a moment to spotlight our Robert F. Smith scholars who had the chance to meet with Columbia Business School alumni and donor, Robert Smith (c/o ‘94) earlier this week at The Economic Club of New York York during an intimate conversation and fireside chat. Since graduating from CBS, Robert has become a trailblazer in his own right. Constantly challenging narratives while pioneering new pathways. From investing in communities to sponsoring education for America’s next generation of corporate leaders and playmakers. Constantly leading from the front, he is the embodiment of what it means to push the culture forward and reach back as we climb. His legacy is an inspiration to us all and we could not be more proud of our scholars and all that they are doing to reflect Robert’s mission. On behalf of the BBSA community, we’re honored to present him with his very own "Embracing Our Legacy" BBSA varsity jacket as a token of our appreciation for his dedication to our community. This is black history in the making 🚀

A day at the The Bernstein Center for Leadership and Ethics at Columbia Business School. Lots of hidden stories within stories embedded in the pics. Life is texture. So is real leadership and investment strategy. No easy buttons. Here were some of the key focal points of the conversation. 🚁 REAL relationships. My host, Adina Sterling, and I opened up the conversation talking about the five (5) years it took for us to make this one single convening happen. Two coasts, two schools, many conversations. Nothing transactional, nothing short-form. Just a genuine curiosity about each other's pursuits - textured and organic. No 0s, no 1s. To underscore this point, public health expert Renee D Goodwin, Ph.D., M.P.H. joined us. I've known Renee since we were 10 years old. I have not seen her in person since 1989. She showed up - with her son. So did friends from groups as "disparate" as Goldman, Dartmouth, and PhD Project. 🚁 New MENTAL MODELS to nudge you to get out of your routine and navigate a future that is unimaginable to most. Do you have the agility to fly your life/career like a helicopter? Can you land (not crash) anywhere, can you pause/hover with the confidence that you can vertically lift off without a long runway? Are you thinking in systems? Can you envision an AI infused world where the most human skillsets will be the most irreplaceable? Can you combine imagination/creativity with quantitative numeracy? Are you facile in multi-modal and multi-sensory communication? 🚁 There is no replacement for intangible assets like character, dignity and principles. No trust, no dice - once you lose it ,it's gone. I don't care how smart you are or how easy it is to hide behind technology, corporate custom, or spreadsheets. History is rich with those who embraced "plausible deniability." Be proud of your "how" -- it will eat you up if you don't -- emotionally and mentally... The best investors think long-term. Ask Warren Buffet. Fundamentally, embracing Agency is a process AND a skillset. Most will willingly or blindly give it away. Don't be one of those people. The best part? The hardest part of the journey is FREE; meaning, the return on investment is infinite. To the student organizations who helped host me. Read the book! The learning process embedded in its construct is its most important lesson. the red helicopter Columbia Women in Business CBS Black Business Student Association Retail & Luxury Goods Club at Columbia Business School

Established in 1973, the BBSA has become a core part of the Columbia Business School community. From professional development opportunities to social gatherings, our contributions run deep. As we celebrate Black History Month throughout the month of February, we take time to reflect on that history and legacy. This is the BBSA.

Early Bird tickets are now available for the 43rd annual Elevate Conference! One-Day and Two-Day tickets can be purchased at the link below. https://lnkd.in/eK3fZKgg

As we begin the spring semester, we're proud to highlight our impact from last semester! We're grateful for our BBSA leaders and members who enhanced the MBA experience—not only for ourselves but for the broader student body and prospective students. A few key highlights: ✨ The Marketing team boasted impressive reach expansion and celebrated the launch of the organization's launch on another platform, TikTok ✨ The Social team curated community events that created lasting impressions on BBSA members and the broader student body ✨ The Partnerships team's collaboration efforts spanned from voting registration events to cross-cultural dinners and exclusive arts showcases ✨ The Academics team ensured the success of our 1st year students by organizing 16 multidisciplinary tutoring sessions ✨ The Careers & Alumni team hosted 4 company visits exclusive to BBSA members ✨ The Admissions team launched the inaugural R1 Applicant Buddy Program, improved upon the R2 Applicant Buddy Program, and supported over 300 prospective students through coaching and mentoring efforts We're so excited for our upcoming semester initiatives! Stay tuned 💪🏾