Business
Keeping Hope Alive Through Legacy Planning
Black History Month invites us to remember courage under pressure. It reminds us that our ancestors survived systems designed to exclude them. They built families, churches, businesses, and neighborhoods anyway. Survival was not optional. It was necessary.
Rising optimism among small and middle market business leaders suggests growth for Illinois
Business optimism is returning for small and midsize business leaders at the start of 2026, fueling confidence and growth plans.
Genius Factor Academy and National Black MBA Association Announce Strategic Partnership to Launch AI-Driven Career Intelligence Platform
Genius Factor Academy and the National Black MBA Association (NBMBAA) today announced a strategic partnership aimed at empowering professionals to align their talent, passion, career and income in the rapidly evolving age of artificial intelligence.
The Advanced Leadership Institute and Carnegie Mellon University Kick-Off the New Program Year with the 2026 Emerging Leaders Program
The Advanced Leadership Institute (TALI), in partnership with Carnegie Mellon University, announces the launch of its 2026 programming year with the fifth cohort of the Emerging Leaders Program – one of TALI's cohort-based programs designed to educate, develop, connect, and position Black leaders and their allies for success. The program welcomes a new class of talented professionals and introduces key enhancements for the year ahead.
Zelle® and Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, in Partnership with Community Development Investors, Launch New Scholarship to Invest in Black MBA Students Pursuing Small Business Ownership
As millions of American small business owners prepare to retire – and thousands of Main Street businesses face closure – popular person-to-person service Zelle® and the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF), in partnership with Community Development Investors (CDI), today announced a new scholarship for students at select Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) that aspire to keep those businesses alive, local and Black-owned.
Your Legacy Is Richer Than You Think
Many believe they will be remembered for what they owned—a house, a business, insurance, or a bank account. Yet when families gather—at repasts, reunions, holidays, or around the kitchen table—conversations rarely center on possessions. Instead, stories are shared, told and retold, bringing laughter, tears, and the warmth of memories coming alive.
Elvira Dyangani Ose Appointed Artistic Director of the Second Edition of Public Art Abu Dhabi Biennial
The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi has appointed Elvira Dyangani Ose as Artistic Director of the Public Art Abu Dhabi Biennial to curate its second edition which opens in the autumn of 2026 and runs into 2027.
Kevin Hart Enters Strategic Partnership With Authentic Brands Group to Scale His Brand and Business Worldwide
Globally recognized comedian, actor, producer and entrepreneur Kevin Hart has announced a strategic partnership with Authentic Brands Group (Authentic), a global sports, media, entertainment and lifestyle platform. Through the agreement, Hart and Authentic will co-own and manage the Kevin Hart brand, scaling it across new verticals and markets through Authentic’s innovative brand platform.
Let’s Just Do It
Last week I shared that I have been meeting with several of my colleagues—men and women who, like me, have spent decades in financial services. When we gather, there is one painful truth we almost always end up lamenting: our skills, experience, and professional knowledge are too often undervalued in our own community when compared to our white counterparts.
AI Revolution: Disruption Today, Growth Tomorrow for Chicago’s Workforce
AI is not just a buzzword. It is a force already reshaping the city’s economic landscape. Much of the national conversation has centered on job disruption, and it is a valid concern. Earlier this year, several leading technology companies announced significant job cuts as they increased investment in AI capabilities.
Black-Owned Company Launches First-of-Its-Kind Exam-Based Credential to Help Small Businesses Compete for Corporate Contracts in a Merit-Based Economy
As legislative shifts and the rollback of DEI-based supplier development programs continue to reshape corporate contracting, small businesses are facing a more competitive, merit-driven environment with fewer development resources.
The Sports Facilities Companies Welcomes The Legacy Sports Group to National Portfolio
The Sports Facilities Companies (SFC), the nation's leading resource for the planning, development, and management of sports, recreation, and event destinations, today announced that William R. Knox, Sr. and his firm, The Legacy Sports Group, have joined the SFC team. Through a strategic collaboration, The Legacy Sports Group will become part of The Sports Facilities Companies, strengthening SFC's capabilities in sports tourism, destination development, and community impact initiatives nationwide.
Giving Back Beyond the Journey: How ACRC Surrogacy is Supporting Families in the Community
The decision to participate in the event reflected ACRC Surrogacy's close, day-to-day work with families and its desire to extend that same care and compassion beyond the surrogacy journey. As an organization dedicated to helping create families through surrogacy and donation programs, ACRC Surrogacy viewed the holiday gathering as an opportunity to support mothers and children in the surrounding community in a more personal, human way.
Know the Truth
How many times have you heard, “What you don’t know can’t hurt you”? I’ve heard it more times than I can count. They say that if a statement is repeated often enough, people begin to accept it as truth. Well, I’m here to set the record straight. No matter how many times something is said, it does not make it so. And when it comes to retirement, what you don’t know can hurt you— especially financially.
