Do you want to know influential Black entrepreneurs? Read this article to discover the top 10 influential Black entrepreneurs! Black business is booming! More than 3.1 million businesses have Black owners in the United States. The majority of these businesses are small, and some have only one employee. Yet Black entrepreneurs are getting millions of dollars and running massive corporations. If you're looking to start a business, you should examine a few entrepreneurs and model yourselves after them. Who are the major Black entrepreneurs in the arts, technology, and business sectors? How did their careers start, and what companies have they created? How much money have they raised? Answer these questions, and you can join the legions of Black professionals throughout the United States. Here are 10 great Black entrepreneurs. 1. Young Paris Milandou Badila, better known as Young Paris, was born in Paris in 1988. From a young age, he became interested in music, and he began a music teaching career in New York when he was 17. Young Paris's career took off in 2016 when he signed with Jay-Z's ROC Nation. He released his debut album that year, combining Afrobeat with rap and hip-hop. His second album, Blood Diamond, became popular in Africa and has more than five million streams on Spotify. Young Paris went on to join the fashion scene. He is currently an ambassador for the Council of Fashion Designers of America, working with elites like Anna Wintour. In addition to fashion, Young Paris has produced artworks for NFTs and the Metaverse. He is outspoken about his hopes for Black designers and artists to join the Metaverse, as he thinks NFTs have high potential return. 2. Kimberly Bryant Kimberly Bryant was born in 1967 in Memphis. She excelled in mathematics and science at an early age, and she went to college with plans to be a civil engineer. However, Bryant grew interested in personal computers, and she became an electrical engineer instead. After working for electrical companies, she switched to a career in pharmaceuticals and business. She became an entrepreneur in 2011 when she founded Black Girls CODE. Black Girls CODE is an educational organization that provides classes to young Black women in afterschool and summer programs. Black Girls CODE became a fast success, opening 15 chapters across the United States. In 2014, it received a $50,000 grant from Microsoft. In 2018, the organization partnered with Lyft, allowing drivers and users to donate to the organization. 3. Jason Njoku Jason Njoku was born in London in 1980. He moved to Nigeria when he was 12 years old and went to the University of Manchester where he studied chemistry. After he graduated, he started a magazine for students called Brash Magazine. He then tried launching a series of businesses, but none of them succeeded. He moved back into his mother's home and developed the idea of a distribution business for movies in Nigeria. In 2010, he launched NollywoodLove, a YouTube channel that would post Nigerian movies online. He received $3 million for the project from the venture capital fund Tiger Global. In 2011, he launched a video-on-demand movie platform called iROKO. The platform became extremely popular, and Njoku has raised tens of millions of dollars for it. Njoku has also started Spark, an investment vehicle for internet start-ups in Nigeria. The company has invested in dozens of companies, helping Black professionals throughout the country. 4. Jessica O. Matthews While a student at Harvard, Jessica O. Matthews and a classmate launched a product called SOCCKET. SOCCKET was a soccer ball that stores kinetic energy as people kick it around. Users could then attach the ball to lights and power them for three hours. The product was successful, and Matthews founded a company called Uncharted Power to handle its production. Matthews served as CEO of Uncharted Power, guiding it to three consecutive years of doubled gross profit margins. In 2016, the company was valued at $57 million. She raised $7 million in funding for the project, making her one of the few Black female entrepreneurs to have raised $1 million in funding. Matthews has also worked on infrastructure projects. She serves as the executive director of KDDC, which develops hydropower dams in Nigeria. 5. Ryan A. Williams Ryan A. Williams was born in Baton Rouge in 1988. At 13, he founded his first company, a sports apparel organization. He went to Harvard where he founded the Veritas Financial Group, which helps students become more financially literate. While at Harvard, he became interested in real estate technology. After graduating, he worked at Goldman Sachs and Blackstone and then founded his own company, Cadre. Cadre is a financial technology company that users can use to invest in real estate. The company intends to make the real estate market similar to the stock market, as investors can select individual transactions to make. Cadre has received tens of millions of dollars in funding, including from Harvard University. In 2021, the company sold three buildings for more than $310 million, making it one of the largest ever online real estate transactions. He also works as a public speaker, educating people on financial literacy. 6. Paul Judge Dr. Paul Judge began his entrepreneurial career with CipherTrust, an email security company. The company was sold in 2006 for more than $270 million, and Dr. Judge transitioned to Purewire, a web security company. In 2011, Dr. Judge co-founded Pindrop Security. The organization helps companies stay safe during phone calls. Pindrop acquired more than $100 million in funding between 2012 and 2016. In 2014, Dr. Judge co-founded TechSquare Labs, a company-building studio. The organization has invested in dozens of technology companies, many of them run by Black entrepreneurs in 2022. Dr. Judge also serves as Managing Partner for Panoramic Ventures, an organization that funds technology companies in the Southeast. He focuses on funding projects run by overlooked founders, including students and entrepreneurs of color. 7. Binta Brown Binta Brown began her career as a legal clerk to Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. She then served as a corporate advisor and public policy aide. In 2014, Brown founded her first company, Fermata Entertainment, an artist development firm. In 2016, Brown co-founded the Music Lab, an after-school program to teach high schoolers about music and open mic performances. The Music Lab became popular, and Brown has since dedicated her career to the music industry. She has worked with artists like Chance the Rapper and advises several music companies on diversity and legal matters. 8. Yetnebersh Nigussie Yetnebersh Nigussie was born in Ethiopia in 1982. She lost her eyesight when she was five, and her parents sent her to a school for the blind. Yetnebersh was an extremely successful student, chairing several clubs. In the mid-2000s, Yetnebersh became involved in AIDS activism. She received awards for her work and used her fame to start dozens of organizations. She co-founded the Ethiopian Center for Disability and Development, funding companies in Africa. In 2016, Yetnebersh joined Light for the World, an NGO that fights for disability rights. She continues to work for Light for the World and several human rights organizations. 9. DeMaurice Smith DeMaurice Smith began his career as a trial lawyer. He then worked in the U.S. Attorney's office and with the Department of Justice, arguing cases in the U.S. Court of Appeals. In 2009, Smith was elected to become the executive director of the National Football League Players Association. Smith has worked with NFL owners to raise money for players and improve player safety. Smith has since expanded his portfolio to cover many operations in football. He founded a venture capital company that lets players use their name, image, and likeness rights to make money. He also partnered with the NFL and MLB to create a trading card company currently valued at more than $1 billion. 10. Larry Lawson Larry Lawson worked as a producer at CBS News. His work included reporting on Princess Diana's death, which was viewed by millions of people. In 2008, Lawson became a senior news director at NESN. He produced digital tools and handled millions of dollars in operating budgets, helping expand network viewership by 40%. In 2021, Lawson joined the Black News Channel. He launched the organization's streaming platform and created production tools to streamline operations. Influential Black Entrepreneurs in America Black entrepreneurs affect every sector of the American economy. Major entrepreneurs in the arts include Young Paris, Jason Njoku, and Binta Brown. Black technological entrepreneurs include Kimberly Bryant, Jessica O. Williams, and Dr. Paul Judge. Many entrepreneurs like DeMaurice Smith and Larry Lawson started their careers outside of business and then successfully transitioned into it. Other entrepreneurs like Yetnebersh Nigussie and Ryan A. Williams combine their efforts with charity work. Whatever business you want to start, you can get help and inspiration for it. RISE Urban Nation helps support Black entrepreneurs and business leaders. Contact us today.

Do you want to know influential Black entrepreneurs? Read this article to discover the top 10 influential Black entrepreneurs! Black business is booming! More than 3.1 million businesses have Black owners in the United States. The majority of these businesses are small, and some have only one employee. Yet Black entrepreneurs are getting millions of dollars and running massive corporations. If you're looking to start a business, you should examine a few entrepreneurs and model yourselves after them. Who are the major Black entrepreneurs in the arts, technology, and business sectors? How did their careers start, and what companies have they created? How much money have they raised? Answer these questions, and you can join the legions of Black professionals throughout the United States. Here are 10 great Black entrepreneurs. 1. Young Paris Milandou Badila, better known as Young Paris, was born in Paris in 1988. From a young age, he became interested in music, and he began a music teaching career in New York when he was 17. Young Paris's career took off in 2016 when he signed with Jay-Z's ROC Nation. He released his debut album that year, combining Afrobeat with rap and hip-hop. His second album, Blood Diamond, became popular in Africa and has more than five million streams on Spotify. Young Paris went on to join the fashion scene. He is currently an ambassador for the Council of Fashion Designers of America, working with elites like Anna Wintour. In addition to fashion, Young Paris has produced artworks for NFTs and the Metaverse. He is outspoken about his hopes for Black designers and artists to join the Metaverse, as he thinks NFTs have high potential return. 2. Kimberly Bryant Kimberly Bryant was born in 1967 in Memphis. She excelled in mathematics and science at an early age, and she went to college with plans to be a civil engineer. However, Bryant grew interested in personal computers, and she became an electrical engineer instead. After working for electrical companies, she switched to a career in pharmaceuticals and business. She became an entrepreneur in 2011 when she founded Black Girls CODE. Black Girls CODE is an educational organization that provides classes to young Black women in afterschool and summer programs. Black Girls CODE became a fast success, opening 15 chapters across the United States. In 2014, it received a $50,000 grant from Microsoft. In 2018, the organization partnered with Lyft, allowing drivers and users to donate to the organization. 3. Jason Njoku Jason Njoku was born in London in 1980. He moved to Nigeria when he was 12 years old and went to the University of Manchester where he studied chemistry. After he graduated, he started a magazine for students called Brash Magazine. He then tried launching a series of businesses, but none of them succeeded. He moved back into his mother's home and developed the idea of a distribution business for movies in Nigeria. In 2010, he launched NollywoodLove, a YouTube channel that would post Nigerian movies online. He received $3 million for the project from the venture capital fund Tiger Global. In 2011, he launched a video-on-demand movie platform called iROKO. The platform became extremely popular, and Njoku has raised tens of millions of dollars for it. Njoku has also started Spark, an investment vehicle for internet start-ups in Nigeria. The company has invested in dozens of companies, helping Black professionals throughout the country. 4. Jessica O. Matthews While a student at Harvard, Jessica O. Matthews and a classmate launched a product called SOCCKET. SOCCKET was a soccer ball that stores kinetic energy as people kick it around. Users could then attach the ball to lights and power them for three hours. The product was successful, and Matthews founded a company called Uncharted Power to handle its production. Matthews served as CEO of Uncharted Power, guiding it to three consecutive years of doubled gross profit margins. In 2016, the company was valued at $57 million. She raised $7 million in funding for the project, making her one of the few Black female entrepreneurs to have raised $1 million in funding. Matthews has also worked on infrastructure projects. She serves as the executive director of KDDC, which develops hydropower dams in Nigeria. 5. Ryan A. Williams Ryan A. Williams was born in Baton Rouge in 1988. At 13, he founded his first company, a sports apparel organization. He went to Harvard where he founded the Veritas Financial Group, which helps students become more financially literate. While at Harvard, he became interested in real estate technology. After graduating, he worked at Goldman Sachs and Blackstone and then founded his own company, Cadre. Cadre is a financial technology company that users can use to invest in real estate. The company intends to make the real estate market similar to the stock market, as investors can select individual transactions to make. Cadre has received tens of millions of dollars in funding, including from Harvard University. In 2021, the company sold three buildings for more than $310 million, making it one of the largest ever online real estate transactions. He also works as a public speaker, educating people on financial literacy. 6. Paul Judge Dr. Paul Judge began his entrepreneurial career with CipherTrust, an email security company. The company was sold in 2006 for more than $270 million, and Dr. Judge transitioned to Purewire, a web security company. In 2011, Dr. Judge co-founded Pindrop Security. The organization helps companies stay safe during phone calls. Pindrop acquired more than $100 million in funding between 2012 and 2016. In 2014, Dr. Judge co-founded TechSquare Labs, a company-building studio. The organization has invested in dozens of technology companies, many of them run by Black entrepreneurs in 2022. Dr. Judge also serves as Managing Partner for Panoramic Ventures, an organization that funds technology companies in the Southeast. He focuses on funding projects run by overlooked founders, including students and entrepreneurs of color. 7. Binta Brown Binta Brown began her career as a legal clerk to Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. She then served as a corporate advisor and public policy aide. In 2014, Brown founded her first company, Fermata Entertainment, an artist development firm. In 2016, Brown co-founded the Music Lab, an after-school program to teach high schoolers about music and open mic performances. The Music Lab became popular, and Brown has since dedicated her career to the music industry. She has worked with artists like Chance the Rapper and advises several music companies on diversity and legal matters. 8. Yetnebersh Nigussie Yetnebersh Nigussie was born in Ethiopia in 1982. She lost her eyesight when she was five, and her parents sent her to a school for the blind. Yetnebersh was an extremely successful student, chairing several clubs. In the mid-2000s, Yetnebersh became involved in AIDS activism. She received awards for her work and used her fame to start dozens of organizations. She co-founded the Ethiopian Center for Disability and Development, funding companies in Africa. In 2016, Yetnebersh joined Light for the World, an NGO that fights for disability rights. She continues to work for Light for the World and several human rights organizations. 9. DeMaurice Smith DeMaurice Smith began his career as a trial lawyer. He then worked in the U.S. Attorney's office and with the Department of Justice, arguing cases in the U.S. Court of Appeals. In 2009, Smith was elected to become the executive director of the National Football League Players Association. Smith has worked with NFL owners to raise money for players and improve player safety. Smith has since expanded his portfolio to cover many operations in football. He founded a venture capital company that lets players use their name, image, and likeness rights to make money. He also partnered with the NFL and MLB to create a trading card company currently valued at more than $1 billion. 10. Larry Lawson Larry Lawson worked as a producer at CBS News. His work included reporting on Princess Diana's death, which was viewed by millions of people. In 2008, Lawson became a senior news director at NESN. He produced digital tools and handled millions of dollars in operating budgets, helping expand network viewership by 40%. In 2021, Lawson joined the Black News Channel. He launched the organization's streaming platform and created production tools to streamline operations. Influential Black Entrepreneurs in America Black entrepreneurs affect every sector of the American economy. Major entrepreneurs in the arts include Young Paris, Jason Njoku, and Binta Brown. Black technological entrepreneurs include Kimberly Bryant, Jessica O. Williams, and Dr. Paul Judge. Many entrepreneurs like DeMaurice Smith and Larry Lawson started their careers outside of business and then successfully transitioned into it. Other entrepreneurs like Yetnebersh Nigussie and Ryan A. Williams combine their efforts with charity work. Whatever business you want to start, you can get help and inspiration for it. RISE Urban Nation helps support Black entrepreneurs and business leaders. Contact us today.

Black-owned businesses received less than 1% of investment funding. That is changing! Explore our list of business grants that provide entrepreneurs funding!

In 2022, there are many Black philanthropists out there spreading their success. What's their secret? Here's what you need to know.

To promote diversity, equity and inclusion within your workplace, you request a DEI program. Learn how to develop one by checking out our guide.

There are many things to invest in, but what are the best investments for new African entrepreneurs? Learn more about it here.

YamUp Inc. founder and CEO Brett Paul Izu talks about his business ventures and his passion for Black youth mentorship and development.

If you're trying to start a Black-owned business or product, you should learn from Black leaders that paved the way in this guide.

Check out this guide to discover 6 resources every black entrepreneur should leverage, including funding, development and more.