Don Peebles, Todd McDonald, Asahi Pompey, Shonda Rhimes, Tyler Perry, Serena Williams and Junior Bridgeman Among Leading Changemakers Recognized
Thursday, December 19, 2024 – Forbes today announced the honorees of the inaugural ForbesBLK 50: Power, Wealth and Impact List, recognizing fifty of the most influential members in the Black community and amplifying self-made Black millionaires and billionaires who are driving systematic change in business, culture and society.
Inspired by the rapid growth of the ForbesBLK community, the list evaluates honorees through the lens of Forbes’ core pillars including power, wealth and impact. Distinguished honorees represent a variety of C-suite executives, rising entrepreneurs and transformative community leaders, showcasing those who have made a lasting impact in the Black community.
“The launch of the inaugural ForbesBLK 50 list follows the continued growth and success of our ForbesBLK community, spotlighting exceptional leaders, entrepreneurs and creators of color,” said Jabari Young, Editor, ForbesBLK. “When we launched ForbesBLK, we set out to create a national platform to amplify diverse voices and drive a new culture of change. Today, this list not only celebrates the accomplishments among influential leaders in the Black community, but also underscores the impact they are making across business industries and breaking down barriers for future generations.”
Notable honorees on the inaugural list include:
- Don Peebles, CEO of Peebles Corporation, the largest Black real estate developer in America.
- The president of Liberty Bank in New Orleans, the largest Black bank in America according to the FDIC, Todd McDonald. The son of Alden McDonald, the cofounder and CEO of the company, McDonald now oversees the bank, which survived the turbulence of Hurricane Katrina.
- Asahi Pompey, considered the highest-ranking Black woman at Goldman Sachs, who oversees the bank’s One Million Black Women operation — a $10 billion investment project spotlighted in Forbes’ Journey To ForbesBLK Summit.
Along with the ForbesBLK 50 List, Forbes will publish a new three-set video series titled, Building Wealth Through… The series will highlight how several honorees spanning different industries, including Real Estate, Wall Street and Sustainability, achieved success and grew their fortunes. It will feature interviews with Don Peebles, CEO Of Peebles Corporation, for Real Estate, Tracy Maitland, president of Advent Capital Management, for Wall Street and Josh Aviv, founder of SparkCharge, an EV startup in Boston, for Sustainability.
Forbes will celebrate the honorees at its third annual ForbesBLK summit on April 2025, in Atlanta. The theme of the summit will be “Today’s Challenges, Tomorrow’s Opportunity: A New Path To Economic Prosperity,” and foster discussion around the obstacles and opportunities ahead for Black entrepreneurs, executives, and the next generation of business leaders. At the summit, Forbes will introduce the first ForbesBLK Community Member of the Year Award and present the Creative Icon Award. Additional details about the summit will be available in early 2025.
To view the full list, features and methodology, visit: 2025 ForbesBLK 50 List.
To join the conversation on social, follow #ForbesBLK.
Media contacts:
Jocelyn Swift: [email protected]
Feryal Nawaz: [email protected]
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