In celebration of our 40th anniversary, Black Enterprise is taking a look both forward and backward at the world of black business. Our list of 40 Next celebrates the next generation of entrepreneurs and business leaders.
These BE Nexters–those 21—35 years old making a measurable impact within their respective business, organization, industry, or field–are standouts in the areas of entrepreneurship, corporate America, academia, nonprofit, the arts, and the STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). And they prove every day that “business as usual” is not so usual. For them, leveraging expertise in one area to maximize an opportunity in another is standard operating procedure.
Using the legacy of their business predecessors to forge their own way, this new generation of leadership accepts the torch without trepidation. But the commonality between then and now is that success still takes a focused, strategic, and passionate mindset. Here, we introduce you to one of our 40 Next.
Jamail Larkins, 26
Founder/CEO
Ascension Aircraft, Augusta, GA
Larkins has been flying high since the tender age of 16. In 2006, he started his company with just $5,000. Since then Ascension has taken off, with services such as aircraft leasing, management, acquisition, and brokering. Last year, the revenues of this 2010 BE Next Company of the Year grew to $8.4 million.
VIDEO: See Jamail Larkins in “BE Next: Making the January 2010 Cover”
Be sure to pick up the commemorative 40th anniversary August 2010 issue of Black Enterprise, which contains the entire 40 Next list.