Day 3 of the 2017 Entrepreneurs Summit was filled with insightful panels, powerful presentations, meetup sessions, and the BE 100s 45th Anniversary Celebration & Awards. Plus, attendees had the opportunity to shop at the expo hall, relax in the AT&T digital lounge, and sign up for one-on-one business consultation provided by expert business coaches.
The day began with an energizing #FridayFitness workout class sponsored by Nationwide. Later that morning, Hill
Harper delivered a moving presentation sponsored by Toyota about pushing past fear in order to live our best lives and achieve new levels of success. The award-winning actor, entrepreneur, and investor weaved in and out of the crowd, urging them to take a leap of faith into their destiny. Fear is an energy that can create mental barriers and limit our potential, he explained. It can even stifle business opportunity. On the other hand, “the future actually belongs to those who can innovate, belongs to those who are bold, belongs to those who can take risks,” he said.%CODE1%
Another highlighting moment was the fireside chat between Black Enterprise President/CEO Earl “Butch” Graves Jr. and Kase Lawal, the founder and chairman of CAMAC International. With holdings in Nigeria, South Africa, England and the Cayman Islands, the multibillion-dollar company is one of the largest black-owned businesses in the U.S.
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Latoya Bullard-Franklin, the CEO of The Bulsard Group, moderated a session sponsored by American Express OPEN titled “SistersInc.— Succeeding in a Man’s World,” which featured a panel of successful female entrepreneurs.
Lisa “The Inventress” Ascolese shared invaluable advice and information about what to expect when bringing an idea to market during her presentation about inventing, patenting, and profiting from new ideas.
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The day ended with the BE 100S 45th Anniversary Celebration & Awards, which celebrated the wealthiest and most powerful CEOs in the country. During the ceremony, MLB Hall of Famer and entrepreneur Hank Aaron received the A.G. Gaston Award, while attorney, civil rights leader, and business consultant Vernon Jordan was presented with the Champions Award. Following the gala, Nationwide sponsored “The Social” afterparty.