Black Enterprise

What Black Enterprise does

Black Enterprise is a privately held, New York-based digital media company founded in 1970 that serves Black entrepreneurs, professionals, and consumers with editorial content spanning business, entrepreneurship, technology, money, news, lifestyle, and culture. Its core product is a multi-channel digital media platform built around the blackenterprise.com website, an iOS mobile application, newsletters, podcasts (SistersInc., Your Money Your Life), and a portfolio of branded and editorial video series. The company operates a portfolio of recurring owned events including the Women of Power summit, XCEL Summit For Men, BE Smart Hackathon, BE on The Vineyard, and the Elevate Everywhere regional series, which function both as audience engagement vehicles and monetization channels.

The business model is a hybrid of advertising and sponsorship, event ticketing, newsletter subscriptions, and a small e-commerce stream (shop.blackenterprise.com). The largest revenue driver is enterprise sponsorship: flagship and core partnerships with Capital One, Nationwide, Gilead, Hyatt, New York Life, Fidelity, and Manulife John Hancock underwrite branded video series (BE The Game, Finding Joy, Perspectives on Equity, Boardroom Chats, Change Starts Here), sponsored content franchises (Health EQ, Plan To Prosper, Wealth Building Strategies, Money Moves That Matter), and event sponsorships. Content is produced in-house and distributed through owned channels as well as sponsored partner channels. The company is independently owned with no disclosed parent or institutional investors, is led by a second-generation management team including President and CEO Butch Graves, and has a headcount in the 51-100 range.

Name

Black Enterprise

Legal name

BLACK ENTERPRISE

Website

https://blackenterprise.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Black Enterprise is a privately held, New York-based digital media company founded in 1970 that serves Black entrepreneurs, professionals, and consumers with business, career, technology, and wealth-building content distributed via website, newsletters, podcasts, video, and live events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Digital Media Publishing

SIC

Services-Advertising (7310)

akta.pro primary industry

Enterprise & Workplace Communities (BPAMABAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Corporate Leadership & Management (EDAGANAA)

Keywords

• Digital media publishing
• Business news content
• Entrepreneurship resources
• Wealth building content
• Corporate event management

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Advertising and Sponsorships: Revenue generated through sponsored content, branded video series, and advertising partnerships with major brands including Capital One, Nationwide, Gilead, Hyatt, and others.
2. Event Ticketing: Revenue from paid attendance to events including Women of Power, XCEL Summit For Men, and various summits and conferences.
3. Subscriptions and Newsletters: Newsletter subscriptions and potential magazine subscription revenue.
4. E-commerce: Revenue from shop.blackenterprise.com selling products including educational bundles.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Black Enterprise is a digital media company that publishes editorial articles, branded video series, podcasts, and email newsletters covering business, entrepreneurship, careers, technology, money, and lifestyle topics targeted at Black entrepreneurs, professionals, and consumers. The company also produces sponsored content in partnership with corporate advertisers (Capital One, Nationwide, Gilead, Hyatt, New York Life, Fidelity, Manulife John Hancock) and operates signature live and virtual events including the XCEL Summit For Men, Women of Power, BE Smart Hackathon, and Elevate Everywhere series.

Product overview

Black Enterprise operates as a comprehensive digital media platform providing news, analysis, and resources for Black entrepreneurs and professionals. The core platform delivers content across multiple channels including business, technology, money, lifestyle, and politics. The company extends its reach through major annual events (XCEL Summit For Men, Women Of Power, BE Smart Hackathon), video content series (BE The Game, Beyond The Hype, and branded programming), and sponsored content initiatives including Wealth Building Strategies (Fidelity), Health EQ (Gilead), and Plan To Prosper (New York Life). Additional offerings include newsletter subscriptions, mobile applications, curated lists (40 Under 40, Best Companies for Diversity), and virtual townhall series. The platform architecture combines editorial content delivery with event-based networking and professional development resources.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• BE The Game: Video series sponsored by Nationwide featuring sports business content
• Women of Power
• XCEL Summit For Men
• BE Smart Hackathon
• Elevate Everywhere
• Health Is Wealth

Products and services

• Black Enterprise Website Platform Primary digital media platform providing news, articles, videos, podcasts, and resources focused on Black entrepreneurs, career development, technology, money, and lifestyle content for Black professionals and business owners.
• Newsletter Subscriptions Email newsletter offerings delivering curated content on venture capital, Black women founders, cannabis industry, wealth building, careers, entrepreneurship, and general business news to subscribers.
• XCEL Summit For Men Annual conference and awards program dedicated to elevating and empowering Black men in leadership, with content and networking aimed at attendees from entry-level to C-suite.
• Women Of Power Summit Annual summit and awards program recognizing and empowering professional women and executives with networking, leadership development, and career advancement opportunities.
• BE Smart Hackathon Technology and innovation hackathon event fostering entrepreneurship and tech skills development among students and young professionals in the Black community.
• Elevate Everywhere Regional event series bringing Black Enterprise's networking and professional development resources to different cities such as Toronto.
• BE on The Vineyard Annual networking event held in Martha's Vineyard featuring fireside chats, panels with executives and entrepreneurs, and celebration for the Black business community.
• BE The Game Video Series Branded video series sponsored by Nationwide featuring interviews and discussions with sports executives, exploring the business of sports including partnerships, sponsorships, and brand building.
• Wealth Building Strategies Sponsored content initiative in partnership with Fidelity Investments providing expertise on tax planning, investment portfolio building, and additional income streams for wealth building.
• Health EQ Health equity content initiative sponsored by Gilead Sciences addressing HIV/AIDS, breast cancer disparities, and broader health inequities affecting Black communities.
• Plan To Prosper Financial wellness initiative sponsored by New York Life featuring articles and videos on financial prosperity and retirement planning for African Americans.
• Money Moves That Matter Financial education campaign sponsored by Manulife John Hancock providing wealth-building guidance and strategies for the Black community.
• Black Enterprise Mobile App iOS mobile application available on the Apple App Store providing access to Black Enterprise editorial, video, and podcast content on mobile devices.
• BE Recognition Lists Annual ranking and recognition programs including 40 Under 40, Registry of Corporate Directors, Best Companies for Diversity, and 50 Most Influential Entrepreneurs.
• Townhall Series Virtual and in-person discussion series covering economic outlook for African Americans, HBCU excellence, Black business impact, and health and wealth topics.

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor, flagship and core.

• ManulifeminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 14 August 2023Sponsor of BE on the Vineyard event held August 14-17, 2023 at Martha's Vineyard, producing networking events for the Black business community.
• Manulife John HancockflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of the Money Moves That Matter campaign, focusing on financial empowerment content for Black audiences.
• NationwideflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerMultiple partnerships including BE The Game video series, Boardroom Chats branded series, Juneteenth sponsorship, and Economic Outlook town hall. Major event sponsor.
• Capital OneflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of Finding Joy and Perspectives on Equity branded video series, focused on financial wellness and equity content.
• Gilead SciencescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of Health Is Wealth initiative, addressing health equity topics including HIV awareness, breast cancer disparities, and health topics affecting Black communities. Also supporting the Native Son Fellowship.
• HyattcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of Change Starts Here branded video series, focusing on storytelling around community impact and change.
• New York LifecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of Plan To Prosper initiative focused on wealth building and financial planning content for Black families.
• Fidelity InvestmentscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner for Wealth Building Strategies content, providing financial planning expertise and wealth building resources for 2024 guide.
• Gilead Sciences (Native Son Fellowship)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerSupporting the Native Son Fellowship program for Black LGBTQ+ creators focused on HIV awareness, supporting the organization's 10th Anniversary Awards Weekend.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• TheGrio: Black-focused news and lifestyle digital platform. Direct peer in Black audience digital publishing with overlapping coverage of news, business, and culture.
• MadameNoire: Digital lifestyle and career publication for Black women. Comparable to Black Enterprise's professional development and lifestyle verticals, particularly the Women of Power audience.
• Essence Communications: Media company targeting Black women through editorial, events (Essence Festival), and branded content. Comparable to Black Enterprise in mission-driven Black audience focus, multi-channel monetization, and signature event franchises.
• The Root: Black-focused news, culture, and opinion site. Direct peer in Black digital publishing, overlapping with Black Enterprise's news, politics, and culture coverage.
• Atlanta Black Star: Black-focused news, opinion, and culture digital publication. Comparable niche digital publishing peer serving a similar Black audience demographic.
• Blavity: Digital-native media and entertainment network serving Black millennials. Closely comparable to Black Enterprise as a Black-focused digital media platform, though skewing younger and more social-native in distribution.
• Ebony: Long-running Black American media brand covering culture, business, and lifestyle. Direct peer to Black Enterprise given shared heritage in legacy Black publishing and overlapping audience of Black professionals and consumers.

Emerging players

• Shadow and Act: Digital publication covering Black entertainment and culture globally. Emerging peer with partial overlap to Black Enterprise's lifestyle and culture verticals, focused on Black diaspora storytelling.
• HBCU Buzz: Digital media platform focused on HBCUs and Black student audiences. Adjacent peer overlapping with Black Enterprise's education and career-development coverage and BE Smart Hackathon audience.

Broad incumbents

• BET Media Group: Larger Black-targeted media conglomerate (owned by Paramount Global) spanning TV, digital, and events. Operates in overlapping Black media space but at significantly broader scale across entertainment rather than BE's business/career focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/blackenterprise
• YouTubeblackenterprise.com/videos-overview
• Facebookfacebook.com/BLACKENTERPRISE
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/black-enterprise
• Instagraminstagram.com/blackenterprise
• TikToktiktok.com/@blackenterprise

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Black Enterprise