Ascensus’ Post

🚀 We know upon first glance, the deal and program can be surprising and may cause slight hesitation. As unique as it all seems, it is the exact reason we developed it the way we did. 🏠 Few and far between, do you see opportunities for Black & Brown founders to scale their companies with equity-free capital and robust programmatically geared towards their companies sectors. We are changing that narrative by rewriting the story with our actions. We do this work to close the racial wealth equity gap and provide opportunity for Black & Brown founders to accelerate the innovation that lives within them. 🚀 Finish you application with at https://lnkd.in/gKpeGacX

The racial wealth gap is one that simply cannot be solved with programmatic approaches to DEI. The long history of discrimination impacts racial minorities, specifically Black Americans at alarming rates that must be addressed at their core. To the allies who need a push into the right direction, or DEI practitioners....I invite you to review the data, then ask yourself if the efforts your organizations are putting their energy towards are addressing the root cause of systemic problems negatively impacting racial minorities in all aspects of life.

After having a trustee board meeting recently and prepping for our own upcoming GirlDreamer advisory board meeting, it got me reflecting on the state of trusteeship in this country. And it's pretty grim. I served on a national board, and now serve on a local one and my own organisations and spoiler alert, the difference is stark. Local boards led by minoritised groups naturally have higher levels of diversity as they are ✨ intentionally ✨ set up to reflect the people they serve and are formed with the understanding of the importance of representation and lived experience. Larger/national/global boards however, can follow the 🚩status 🚩 pattern and reflect what/who is *perceived* to have the best/most professional expertise and that usually results in the statistics below. Despite the fact that people from all walks of life actually have those particular skills they're after too. Go figure. All of this to say, the below👇🏾doesn't reflect society and if organisation's continue to want higher levels of reflective leadership, it stems from internal culture and practices and not external diversity recruitment solutions. The problem, as with everything in life, is from the inside out. What are your views on boards and the "challenge" with diversity on them? 🤔 #boards #trustees *these stats are what I could find & might have changed/different elsewhere*

I attended the ForbesBLK Summit! The opportunity to hear from and meet with creators, DEI (I said it) leaders from ALL spaces and the future generation of leaders. I am walking away with: 1. Without community we don't get far 2. Resources are meant to be shared 3. Learn about Project 2025 4. Black folks make up nearly 14% of the US population. We have 1.7 billion dollars in spending potential--- so look at where I'm spending 6. "Educating yourself about the business you want to be in" Jermaine Dupri 7. "To achieve outcomes you got to do unconventional things" Erica Bolden 8. Go buy some dolls that look like me @beautifulcurlyme.com 9. Teach the kids and me about financial literacy @cadenteaches.com 10. And to follow up with the contacts!

Excited to share the op-ed that Daphne Bond-Godfrey and I co-authored in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution titled "Intentionality is key to creating equitable opportunity within commercial real estate". In this article we touch on the importance of doing our part to shape the future of the built environment, work that directly aligns with the Urban Land Institute and Baker Tilly US’s commitments to DEI, stewardship and social impact. As we think about shaping the future our industry, its imperative that we commit to addressing the lack of diverse representation in commercial real estate. For me, two areas of focus are creating onramps for diverse talent into the industry, and identifying ways to democratize access to capital for diverse developers and asset managers. Every day, I am energized by the opportunity to lead the DevelUP platform, an extensive ecosystem comprising hundreds of multidisciplinary stakeholders from across the nation. Their shared commitment to enhancing our industry fuels our collective progress. I am deeply grateful for this journey and the inspiring change-makers I have encountered along the way. I am grateful for ULI Atlanta leadership - Daphne Bond-Godfrey, Amanda Rhein, and Tyrone Rachal, and DEI Committee co-chairs Keith Mack and Quinn Green, MBA for their vision, courage and commitment to this work, as well as my Baker Tilly colleagues Don Bernards, Todd Carpenter, Nuwandi Trahan, CPA, and Tracey B. Nguyen. The work is never finished, and I am excited to see all we accomplish together. #Atlanta #Economicdevelopment #ULI #DevelUP #Buildingequityfromthegroundup #collaboration #socialimpact #DEI #furthertogether #inclusiveleadership #talentdevelopment #accesstocapital

Most public and private corporate board seats are filled through referrals from networks of sitting directors, and many of these referral networks are not very diverse. Yet, the evidence is overwhelming that diversity leads to better performance and more resilience in organizations, ecosystems, and organisms. When Dennis Lanham and I imagined the Black Corporate Board Readiness (BCBR) program in the midst of the pandemic and shortly after the murder of George Floyd, one of our ambitions was to eliminate the myth of a ‘pipeline problem’ of diverse board-ready talent. This myth is perpetuated by the common refrain, “I don’t know anyone.” With over 8 billion people on the planet, the chances than anyone knows the perfect candidate for any position are vanishingly small. To help broaden networks for nom/gov committee members, CEOs, talent partners at VC and PE firms, executive search consultants, and others seeking Independent Director candidates, we offer a virtual, public Meet the Cohort event after the conclusion of each BCBR cohort. BCBR Cohort 8 (C8) members now join our community of over 220 board-ready BCBR Alumni. That we’ve completed 8 cohorts since the inaugural cohort launch in February 2021 testifies to an abundance of incredibly talented leaders ready to serve. What an amazing journey it has been thus far. You can meet these incredible leaders from the comfort of your favorite working space and broaden *your* networks in just 4 weeks from on August 31 from 1 - 3 pm Pacific. Registration at bit.ly/MTC8BCBR Huge gratitude to our Sponsors: Cooley LLP at the Platinum level Genentech at the Gold level KPMG, Odgers Berndtson, and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP and Affiliates at the Silver level Big love to our Partners https://lnkd.in/guU9q65Z Join us on the journey to build better boards and accelerate racial justice. Learn more at bit.ly/BCBRsvec Silicon Valley Executive Center Santa Clara University Leavey School of Business #corporategovernance #boarddiversity #boardofdirectors

Get to know Derek Eichelberger, CFA, CFP®, AIFA® - the newest CEO of SDWMA who is no stranger to the world of business! From his humble beginnings delivering papers as a first job to now working with clients to shape their financial futures. #employeefeature #finance #firstjob #wealthmanagment #careerpath

In 2020, amidst the challenges of COVID, 4SYT Industries faced a tough 9month stretch without winning any contracts….. However, the tide turned in the first week of January 2021, when we secured a remarkable 6 contracts in just 7 days!! Since then, our journey has been marked by recognition in BLACK ENTERPRISE and YAHOO FINANCE, coverage by 6ABC PHILLY NEWS, and the acquisition of awards, certifications, and medals. Our success is a testament to resilience, but we're not resting on our laurels. The principle remains clear: NEVER GET COMFORTABLE. We understand that complacency hinders progress. As we celebrate our achievements, we're committed to continuous evolution, pushing boundaries, and embracing new challenges. The 4SYT Industries story proves setbacks are not roadblocks but stepping stones to success. Our key ingredients are resilience, adaptability, and a relentless pursuit of excellence. Humbled by the journey, motivated by possibilities, we're on a path to greatness! #GovCon #governmentcontracting #4SYTIndustries

Perspectives from Stephens

Perspectives from Stephens