About BWSF | Charlotte | Durham | Fayetteville | Raleigh | Winston-Salem
“Durham is one of largest cities in North Carolina…the city of cities to look for prosperity of the Negroes and the greatest amount of friendly feeling between the two races of the South…Durham was a city of Negro enterprise (Independent, 1911).” - Booker T. Washington
As Forward Cities embarks on an unprecedented project to understand and shift narratives around Black business ownership, Durham’s historic Black Wall Street serves as a model. Durham was selected as one of five pilot communities for Forward Cities’ Black Wall Street initiative.
Justin Minott
Justin MinottDurham Ecosystem Builder in Residence
Justin Minott is an international author, community builder, speaker, entrepreneur, and business coach who is passionate about helping world-changers launch and scale their ventures.
The Durham Pilot
Black Wall Street Mindset
"Black Wall Street Mindset: Black Wealth in the Modern Era” provided an interactive experience with incredible speakers and entrepreneurs in an environment conducive to connection and collaboration.
The event brought together Black entrepreneurs looking to launch and scale their venture, those committed to advancing economic liberation in the Black community, and entrepreneur supporters for lively and engaging panel discussions. The panels featured powerful, local entrepreneurs and the intentional networking time was designed to help participants advance their mission through meaningful collaborations.
Discover BWSF-Durham
Events
BLK Leaders Luncheon
February 27, 2025 | 11:00 am - 1:30 pm | E Harvey Estes Conference Center 1121 Slater Road Durham, NC 27703
Hosted by Give It To The People, BLK Leaders Luncheon is a dynamic event bringing together Black entrepreneurs, business owners, and community leaders for a day of inspiration, learning, and networking. This exclusive luncheon taking place on February 27, 2025 is powered by the continued efforts of cohesive community development with Black Wall Street Forward, and focuses on empowering Black business leaders with the tools, resources, and connections needed to drive sustainable growth and create lasting change within their industries.
Black to the Future
Black to the Future was an immersive experience where guests collectively helped chart the path forward for Black entrepreneurship in Durham. The event featured networking, inspiration, entertainment, and an entrepreneur pitch contest to put resources directly in the hands of local Black entrepreneurs.
The Strategic Vision
The Black Wall Street Forward Council was asked to project forward and imagine what that community would look like in the year 2050, with each pillar activated to its fullest potential. The following is the strategic vision emerged by the council along with historical context, aligned assets, and council-identified collaborative opportunities that can be leveraged as part of a larger effort to bring that vision to fruition.
Explore the Interactive Presentation
Explore the journey of the Black Wall Street Forward Council using our interactive Prezi.
Connect with us
For updates and information, connect with us on LinkedIn and Instagram at @BlackWallStFwd.
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Pillars & Council Members
In order to catalyze this narrative change in each community and honoring past and existing efforts of Black Wall Street legacy stewardship, we will pull forward the following pillars of success from Durham’s historical Black Wall Street.
Collaborative Black leadership and innovation
Kenyetta Hall CEO, Katalyst HQ
Matthias Payton, Owner, Jasper & Gold
Culturally-rooted geographic business hub
Dauv Evans Founder, The Gallus Collective
Ally investment and partnership
Keith Daniel, Managing Director, Resilient Ventures
Jon Fjeld, Co-Director, Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Duke University
Talent pipeline seeded by education
Makayla Booker, Executive Director, Wall St. Juniors
Tamette Farrington, Counselor, North Carolina Central University
Engagement with the broader Black community
Latoya Alston, Owner, Kingdom Building Mentality
Chisa Pennix-Brown, MBA, Owner, Give it to the People
Self-perpetuating funding engine
Darlene Deberry, Business Solutions Officer, Carolina Small Business
JaLisha Richmond, Director of Lending, Thread Capital
Partners
We're grateful for being able to partner with the following organizations to catalyze Black-centric Entrepreneurial Ecosystems:
