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.
Greg Marchand, 35
Founder/Managing Director
Gizmos L.L.C., Chicago
Marchand saw a demand for IT products and services in Africa and set up shop in Zambia, where he directly oversees Gizmos’ African division, Gizmos Ltd., providing business solutions to the Sub-Saharan African business community. With nearly $1 million in revenues, Gizmos’ clients include the MTN Group, a multinational mobile telecom company, and UNICEF.
Education
Morehouse College, BA, Accounting (1997)
Full Academic Scholarship, National Merit Scholar, LEAD Program (1992), Guest Lecturer Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management
Favorite Books
Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole
Corps Business: The 30 Management Principles of the U.S. Marines by David Freedman
BE Next Manifesto
My life’s work is to inspire black people to harness the power within them. My legacy will be the bridges that I have built to enable black Americans to more fully engage with the world economy. I am here to present our value proposition to the global conversation. Through the optic of a seventh generation African American, I am constructing partnerships and building businesses in Africa. With the perspective that Africa is the site of the next industrial revolution, I continue to create structures to increase resource management, investment opportunities, and economic development. In recognizing the advantage of renewing that bond between a people and their land, I will promote an environment of exposure, understanding, courage, collective productivity, and success. My experience has proven a simple formula: Success is where your passions meet with your determination and capabilities.