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.
Rosalyn Durant, 34
VP/General Manager
ESPNU, Bristol, CT
As the youngest black VP/GM at ESPN, Durant currently oversees ESPNU, a 24-hour college-themed program channel with exclusive live event coverage. Since joining the network in 2008, Durant has helped grow viewership from about 20 million households to more than 72 million nationwide and secured distribution agreements with Charter, Comcast, Direct TV, DISH Network, Mediacom, Time Warner, Verizon FIOS TV, and AT&T U-verse.
Education
Bachelors degree from University of South Carolina in Broadcast Journalism (minored in Marketing):Â 1999
Favorite Book
Bible
BE Next Manifesto
Every day is a gift. I will live my life completely and fearlessly, filled with joy and appreciation for each moment. I will be kind to the earth and its inhabitants. I will do work that both challenges and fulfills me, and help others explore their talents and find their personal best. I commit to learning something new every day and stopping to smell the roses.