Boost Leadership Series Kicks Off with “Empowering Black Talent” Seminar

On Saturday, March 20th, Business Today’s Boost team had the pleasure of hosting a wonderful group of panelists and attendees for their first seminar of the Boost Leadership Series. The guest panelists for the seminar were Alex Kennedy, Stephen Elmore, and Wade Rakes, who all shared their own professional experiences as well as thoughts on the seminar theme of “Empowering Black Talent.”

The seminar was the culmination of the tireless effort Boost Founding Director Emily Cheston has put in to make the series a reality. Founding Boost in the summer of 2020, Cheston, a Class of 2021 SPIA major, led the efforts behind both the Boost Summer Journalism Fellowship and the first-ever Boost Leadership Series.

Seminar moderators Auslin Mills and Elizabeth Poku opened the seminar by discussing the importance of “Empowering Black Talent.” As they explained, the lack of Black leadership is not due to a “lack of talent” (as Wells Fargo CEO Charles Scharf claimed), but rather is an issue of accessibility and equity. They also shared some statistics that shed light on the current reality of Black professionals in the United States. Only 3.3% percent of executive leadership positions are held by Black professionals. Only 20 Black professionals have led Fortune 500 countries, and only 3 currently do.

“Only 3.3% percent of executive leadership positions are held by Black professionals. Only 20 Black professionals have led Fortune 500 countries, and only 3 currently do.”

Each panelist shared a bit about their own experiences in the business world and their thoughts on the seminar topic. Stephen Elmore, who currently serves as Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Manager at DKC, shared his own story of bridging gaps and forming cross-cultural connections. An athlete his whole life, Elmore explained how important it has been to him to bring teams closer together. He shared very candidly his experiences as a player for Princeton’s baseball team. Talking about the various backgrounds his teammates came from, he reflected feeling “if I can help bridge this gap... maybe change somebody’s perception of a different background, that’s success.”

These are themes that have played directly into Elmore’s professional career. When asked the most effective step companies can take to create an inclusive environment, Elmore stressed the importance of allowing the voices of everyone in the organization to be heard. He elaborated by explaining that while business leaders may be well-intentioned in their pursuit of equity or progress, they too often fail to empower the voices of the very people they are trying to help.

Alex Kennedy, the Director and Global Head of Partnership Strategy and Operations at Twitter, offered very meaningful advice throughout the seminar to the attendees. When asked about networking, Kennedy responded: “The key to a network is not just the contacts but the deepness of these relationships. Just knowing a whole bunch of random people isn’t going to help.” As Kennedy explained, it is also important to have people around you who can guide you in different facets of life. Using the concept of a “personal board of directors,” Kennedy said: “the key to me is putting a connection of people around you that you tap for different moments for different reasons.” These were points that Wade Rakes, CEO of Centene, Georgia, reiterated. Both panelists could not stress enough how important it is to invest in deepening your relationships with those around you. Rakes also emphasized the importance of self-improvement as you progress throughout your career.

Towards the end of the seminar, Rakes outlined his two-pronged approach to creating a healthy workplace environment. He says the first step is to set clear rules on what is and isn’t acceptable behavior. “Step two,” he said, “is that you have to listen to the lived experiences of the people that you work with.” Rakes elaborated on these ideas but the core of his message was simple: layout a firm set of boundaries and rules, and genuinely listen to your colleagues and employees.

While the path to a more equitable business world will be a long one requiring continuous and exhaustive effort, the first Boost Leadership Series seminar felt like an encouraging representation of what can happen when current and future Black leaders can come together to share their experiences and bounce ideas off of one another.

“Fun fact: All three panelists are Princeton alumni! Both Alex Kennedy and Wade Rakes were members of Business Today, with Rakes directing the International Conference in 2000!”