4 Black Women Making History in Business as the Firsts

View Gallery 4 Photos
Walker's Legacy
1
2
3
4
4 Black Women Making History in Business as the Firsts
Erika James- She Means Business

In July 2014, Erika James became the first African American woman to lead a top tier business school. As Dean of Emory University's Goizueta Business School, James considers herself to be the "accidental academic." James is a former senior associate dean for executive education at the Darden Graduate School of Business Administration at the University of Virginia where she specialized in crisis leadership. James received her Ph.D. in organizational psychology from the University of Michigan. She has a passion for providing more opportunities for minorities and women to pursue higher education in business.

Source:
Walker's Legacy
4 Black Women Making History in Business as the Firsts
Siza Mzimela - Taking Success to New Heights

In 2015, Siza Mzimela made history by becoming the first black woman to launch an airline. In an interview with CNBC Africa, Mzimela admits that the launch of Fly Blue Crane was not an overnight success. She states that it took 18 months to take their first flight, which took off on September 1, 2015. Her goal is to provide less expensive flights to benefit under served communities in Africa.

Source:
Walker's Legacy
4 Black Women Making History in Business as the Firsts
Ursula Burns - From Intern to CEO

Ursula Burns is the first black woman to be appointed CEO of a Fortune 500 company. Since May 2010, Burns has served as the CEO and Chairman of Xerox, making her the first African American woman to head such a large publicly owned company. She started her thirty plus years career with Xerox as an intern and moved her way up from Executive Assistant to President to CEO. In 2014, Forbes rated her the 22nd most powerful woman in the world.

Source:
Walker's Legacy
4 Black Women Making History in Business as the Firsts
Janice Bryant Howroyd - First African-American Woman Billionaire

Many people think this credit goes to the incomparable Oprah Winfrey, but Janice Bryant Howroyd was actually the first black woman to own a billion dollar business. Janice is the founder and CEO of Act-1, a $941 million company which provides temporary staffing and human resources services to over 12,000 clients. In a piece done by Black Enterprise, Howroyd states that you have to think globally when starting a business. "No matter what the size of your business, no matter what the generation or iteration of your business, you are in a global business,” she says.

Source:

#BlackGirlMagic. This hashtag has been making its rounds on social media and with great reason. Black women are continuing to make moves in business and having incredible impacts on the economic growth of this country. According to a report issued by the Institute of Women’s Policy Research (IWPR), the number of women-owned companies has grown 68 percent since 2007, compared with 47 percent for all businesses. Minority women have experienced even swifter growth with 265 percent increase since 1997. Minority women now make up one in three of women-owned businesses.

Black women are not only starting their own businesses at record paces, but they are also making history in Corporate America. Last week, Channing Dungey was appointed president of ABC Entertainment, making her the first black to be named president of a broadcast network. Dungey previously oversaw such dramas as “Scandal” and “How to Get Away with Murder,” 2 shows led by other black women powerhouses. 

In honor of Black History Month and the upcoming Women’s History Month, we want to celebrate African American women who are breaking barriers and making their own rules for success. Here are four women who are making history as the firsts. 

 We encourage you to learn more about these inspiring women leading the change we want to see more of. 

Sources: Nededog, Jethro. “ABC’s Channing Dungey to be first black broadcast-network president.” Business Insider, 17 February 2016. Web. 21 February 2016.; White, Gillian B. “Women Are Owning More and More Small Businesses.” The Atlantic, 17 April 2015. Web. 21 February 2016.; Dingle, Derek T. “No 14: Ursula Burns, The Corporate Innovator.” Black Enterprise, 25 August 2010. Web. 21 February 2016.; Brown, Carolyn M. “Entrepreneurs Conference: How Janice Bryant Howroyd Built a Billion-Dollar Business.” Black Enterprise, 17 May 2012. Web. 22 February 2016.; Fairchild, Caroline. “Emory hires first African-American to lead top business school.” Fortune, 19 May 2014. Web. 22 February 2016.
Vonna Matthews

Vonna Matthews is a marketing and branding expert who has over ten years experience working with non-profits and small businesses. She received her Bachelor's degree from the University of Texas at Austin and her MBA from Dallas Baptist University. As a wife, mother of 2 and entrepreneur, Vonna understands the challenges of work/life balance. Her brand Bottles, Bibs & Pumps helps mompreneurs grow their businesses.

No Comments Yet

Leave a Reply

 

Stay in the Know with Walker's Legacy

Get events, news and more

And don’t worry, we hate spam too! You can unsubscribe at anytime.


 

Walker's Legacy is a growing global women in business collective founded to establish networks of empowerment and access for women of color in business.

FOLLOW US ON