Who's Who In Black
Who's Who In Black is a Detroit-based, privately held media and events company that operates a multi-city publication and membership platform celebrating African American professional achievement across 11 U.S. metros, generating revenue through membership subscriptions, regional event tickets, and sponsored editorial content under parent Real Times Media.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1994
- HeadquartersDetroit, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Who's Who In Black does
Who's Who In Black is a privately held media and events organization founded in 1994 and headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, operating as part of the Real Times Media network of African American-focused media properties. The company functions as a community platform celebrating African American professional achievement through city-specific publications, editorial content, and signature in-person events spanning 11 U.S. metropolitan areas — Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, Cleveland, Columbus, Dallas, Detroit, Houston, Washington DC, Baltimore, and Cincinnati. Its core product is the flagship Who's Who In Black publication, supplemented by city editions, recurring editorial content in categories such as The Vibe (presented by Delta Dental), Business, and Lifestyle, and event programming including the Women of Excellence awards, Titans of Industries, Driven, and Beyond The Ball. The underlying technology is a web-based content management and publishing platform; no proprietary technology stack, mobile app, or public API is disclosed.
The business model combines three revenue streams: annual membership subscriptions to the professional community, per-event ticket sales for regional programming (e.g., the Cleveland August 31 event), and sponsored content and branding partnerships with corporate sponsors such as Delta Dental's VIBE section. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; membership and event tickets are available on inquiry. The go-to-market motion is community-led and event-driven, with regional city chapters serving as the primary engagement, recognition, and acquisition mechanism. Marketing relies on website/blog content, email newsletters, organic social media, the Word In Black national syndication partnership, and in-person regional events.
The company is staffed by a small core team of approximately 6 employees and operates through regional associate publisher arrangements (e.g., Merry Green as Associate Publisher for Chicago and President of MGPG Events, Inc.; Rhonda E. Caldwell as Associate Publisher for Charlotte and Owner of The Main Event, Inc.), each of whom runs an independent local business that anchors WWIB's city chapter. The organization is privately held under parent Real Times Media, with no disclosed external investors, venture capital backing, or public listing.
Who's Who In Black firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Who's Who In Black
- Legal name
- Who's Who In Black
- Website
- https://whoswhoinblack.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1994
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Who's Who In Black is a Detroit-based, privately held media and events company that operates a multi-city publication and membership platform celebrating African American professional achievement across 11 U.S. metros, generating revenue through membership subscriptions, regional event tickets, and sponsored editorial content under parent Real Times Media.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Who's Who In Black industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community Media & Professional Recognition Publishing
- NAICS
- Periodical Publishers (51312)
- SIC
- Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Community, Ethnic & Multilingual News Publishers (MPAJADAG)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Arts, Culture & Literary Magazines (MPAJAEAN)
Keywords
Where Who's Who In Black is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Detroit
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Who's Who In Black business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Event Tickets and Programming: Revenue generated from ticket sales to regional signature events and programming across multiple cities including Cleveland, Charlotte, Chicago, Columbus, and others.
- Membership Subscriptions: Annual membership provides access to the professional community, networking opportunities, and exclusive member benefits and content.
- Sponsored Content and Branding: Sponsored content sections such as 'VIBE presented by Delta Dental' and branded editorial partnerships with corporate sponsors.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Annual Membership |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Event Tickets |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Who's Who In Black product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Who's Who In Black publishes print and digital magazines celebrating African American professionals across more than 10 U.S. cities, complemented by recognition events (Women of Excellence, Titans of Industries, Driven, Beyond The Ball) and a gated annual membership community. The company monetizes through membership subscriptions, sponsored events, and editorial/advertising in its own branded publications.
Product overview
Who's Who In Black operates as a media publication platform celebrating African American achievement for over 30 years. The core product is the Who's Who In Black publication, supplemented by city-specific editions covering Baltimore, Charlotte, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dallas, Detroit, Houston, and Washington DC. The platform provides news and editorial content through categories like The Vibe (sponsored by Delta Dental), Business, and Lifestyle. Additional offerings include events and programming such as Women of Excellence, Titans of Industries, Driven, and Beyond The Ball, as well as a membership community offering networking opportunities and exclusive benefits. The portfolio is managed under the Real Times Media parent company.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- VIBE presented by Delta Dental: Lifestyle and health content platform featuring oral health and wellness articles
- Columbus Women of Excellence
- Titans of Industries
- Beyond The Ball
Products and services
- Who's Who In Black Annual Publication (print + digital edition) An annual flagship publication celebrating prominent African American professionals, distributed in both print and digital edition formats. Targeted at members and the broader African American professional community across U.S. cities where the company operates.
- City-Specific Editions (Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Detroit, Houston, Indianapolis, Pittsburgh, Raleigh-Durham, St. Louis) Regionalized editions of the flagship publication, each curated for a specific U.S. metro area to spotlight accomplished African American professionals in that local community. Sold via annual membership and distributed across 10+ U.S. cities.
- Annual Membership Community A paid annual membership program providing members with access to a gated online community, eligibility for featured profiles, and event invitations. Targeted at African American professionals and executives seeking recognition and networking.
- Women of Excellence Event Signature recognition event honoring accomplished African American women professionals and leaders, typically sponsored by corporate brands.
- Titans of Industries Event Recognition event celebrating top African American business and industry leaders, sponsored by corporate brands seeking visibility with the Black professional community.
- Driven Event Community-focused recognition event within the Who's Who In Black event portfolio, typically honoring achievement within a specific professional or community segment.
- Beyond The Ball Event Gala/ball-style community event in the Who's Who In Black programming calendar, providing an in-person gathering and recognition platform for members and sponsors.
- Virtual Events Programming Online/virtual recognition and community events extending the event programming portfolio beyond in-person programming, broadening geographic reach and enabling sponsor participation without travel.
Companies that use Who's Who In Black
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Who's Who In Black technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Who's Who In Black partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Real Times MediacoreParent company and publishing partner. Who's Who In Black is operated as part of the Real Times Media network of African American media properties, which includes the Word In Black collaborative and multiple city newspapers.
- Delta DentalminorDelta Dental sponsors the 'VIBE' content section on Who's Who In Black, providing branded editorial content related to oral health and wellness.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Who's Who In Black competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Black Enterprise: Black Enterprise is a media company covering African American professionals, executives, and entrepreneurs with editorial content, events, and awards programming. It directly overlaps WWIB's professional recognition, executive networking, and entrepreneur visibility value proposition, and competes for the same corporate sponsorship dollars.
- Word In Black: Word In Black is a national collaborative of African American newspaper publishers that syndicates content nationwide. It both partners with and overlaps WWIB's editorial mission of covering Black achievement, providing the distribution backbone for WWIB content outside its regional markets.
Emerging players
- The Root: The Root is a digital news and culture publication covering African American life, politics, and culture. It overlaps with WWIB's editorial/news function for Black audiences, though it lacks WWIB's regional event programming and member-recognition focus.
- Blavity Inc. Blavity is a digital-first media and events company serving Black millennials with content verticals and large-scale conferences. It overlaps WWIB in editorial coverage and event programming for African American audiences, but skews younger and operates purely digitally rather than via legacy print directories.
- HBCU Buzz: HBCU Buzz is a media platform focused on Historically Black Colleges and Universities, students, and alumni. It overlaps WWIB's editorial coverage of Black leaders and education-sector professionals, but is oriented around HBCU communities rather than multi-industry professional recognition.
Broad incumbents
- Essence Communications (Essence Magazine): Essence is a major consumer media brand targeting African American women across print, digital, and live events. WWIB shares the Black-audience publishing and event-driven model, but Essence operates at significantly broader national scale across consumer lifestyle categories rather than professional-recognition niches.
- EBONY / JET (Ebony Media Operations): EBONY is a heritage African American media brand covering culture, lifestyle, and business with national reach. It shares WWIB's audience and celebration-of-achievement orientation, but operates at much larger consumer scale across multiple content verticals and lifestyle categories.
Regional players
- Atlanta Black Star: Atlanta Black Star is a digital news and culture platform covering African American news with strong Atlanta roots. It overlaps WWIB's editorial coverage of Black achievement and Atlanta market focus, but operates digitally without WWIB's signature event programming.
- Inside Black Milwaukee / Regional Black Press Publishers: Regional Black-owned news publishers such as Inside Black Milwaukee, the Charlotte Post, and the Michigan Chronicle serve metro-specific Black professional audiences with news and community content. They are comparable to WWIB's city editions in editorial scope, though they typically lack WWIB's signature awards and membership programming.
Others
- Real Times Media: Real Times Media is WWIB's parent company and a media group operating African American-focused publications including Word In Black and city newspapers. It is comparable as the overarching media platform that houses WWIB and provides national content distribution infrastructure.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Who's Who In Black social profiles
Digital presenceWho's Who In Black financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Who's Who In Black leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Who's Who In Black funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Who's Who In Black M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Who's Who In Black
What does Who's Who In Black do?
Who's Who In Black publishes print and digital magazines celebrating African American professionals across more than 10 U.S. cities, complemented by recognition events (Women of Excellence, Titans of Industries, Driven, Beyond The Ball) and a gated annual membership community. The company monetizes through membership subscriptions, sponsored events, and editorial/advertising in its own branded publications.
Is Who's Who In Black a public or private company?
Who's Who In Black is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Who's Who In Black founded?
Who's Who In Black was founded in 1994. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Who's Who In Black based?
Who's Who In Black is headquartered in Detroit, United States, in the North America region.
How does Who's Who In Black make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Event Tickets and Programming is the primary driver. The others are membership Subscriptions and sponsored Content and Branding.
Who are Who's Who In Black's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Black Enterprise and Word In Black. Emerging players are The Root, Blavity Inc. and HBCU Buzz. Broad incumbents are Essence Communications (Essence Magazine) and EBONY / JET (Ebony Media Operations). Regional players are Atlanta Black Star and Inside Black Milwaukee / Regional Black Press Publishers. Real Times Media is listed as an others.
Does Who's Who In Black have an API?
No public API is recorded for Who's Who In Black.
What industry is Who's Who In Black in?
Who's Who In Black's product category is Community Media & Professional Recognition Publishing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJADAG, Community, Ethnic & Multilingual News Publishers, with a secondary code of MPAJAEAN, Arts, Culture & Literary Magazines. Its NAICS code is 51312 and its SIC code is 2721.