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.
Sheldon Gilbert, 35
Founder/CEO
Proclivity Systems, New York
Gilbert’s e-commerce analytics company helps global retailers figure out fashion trends and consumer preferences to determine the clothing and home goods customers want to buy before customers actually do. His clients–including Barneys New York, which saw online sales increase by as much as 30%–pay between $500,000 and $2 million annually for his services.
Education
Yale University, 1997, B.A. Molecular Biochemistry & Biophysics
Favorite Book
The Red Queen by Matt Ridley
BE Next Manifesto
While I would never claim to change the world, I hope to inspire generations of leaders with the quantitative creativity critical for true innovation and progress.