On Thursday, Aug. 21, 2014 at 1 p.m., the From The Corner Office Twitter Chat series continues with Black Enterprise President and CEO Earl “Butch” Graves Jr. (@earlbutchgraves), who will share strategic insights on leadership in the face of adversity. Graves will discuss why the attitude of an organization is set at the top, why true leaders bring their best performance when conditions seem to be most adverse and why he remains focused on opportunities, not obstacles. Attendees of the chat can ask questions and join the conversation with the hashtag #BECornerOffice.
A powerful advocate of doing business with minority media and advertising agencies, Graves is responsible for the strategic direction and overall profitability of Black Enterprise, which includes magazine
publishing, television production, digital media, and business and lifestyle events. He joined Black Enterprise, founded by his father Earl Graves Sr., in 1988 after earning his M.B.A. from Harvard University. After holding several positions within advertising and marketing, he was appointed president and chief operating officer in 1998 and named CEO in 2006. Under his guidance, Black Enterprise has expanded the reach of its signature magazine to include more than four million readers, redefined its Wealth for Life mission for the digital age with a revitalized multimedia website and tablet edition, and successfully launched broadcasts of Our World with Black Enterprise and the Black Enterprise Business Report into national television syndication.Graves received his Bachelor’s in Economics from Yale University in 1984. As a four-year starter and captain of the Yale basketball team, he became the school’s all-time leading scorer and finished his college basketball career as the second leading scorer in Ivy League history. Graves was drafted in the third round by the NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers and enjoyed a brief professional basketball career with the Milwaukee Bucks and Cleveland Cavaliers.
From The Corner Office, presented by BMW, is a multimedia initiative featuring articles, photo galleries, videos and digital/social media events (including a Google Hangout with Graves) produced by Black Enterprise. The channel is designed to appeal to ambitious entrepreneurs, executives, and professionals seeking a view from a position of power, from the perspectives of CEOs and other leaders currently at the
top of their game. Visitors to From The Corner Office learn strategic insights and daily insider tips from entrepreneurs and trendsetters leading their fields, ranging from finance and media, to technology and the arts, and practically every other industry.Previous chats in the series featured actor, speaker/activist and entrepreneur Lamman Rucker and entrepreneur, author and early-stage investor Lauren Maillian Bias. Other #BECornerOffice Twitter chat series guests are scheduled as follows:
Sept. 8, 2014, 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. ET: Entrepreneur, Speaker, Author and Scholar Dr. Randal Pinkett (@randalpinkett), co-founder, chairman and CEO of BCT Partners and the first African American winner of the reality series “The Apprentice.” Pinkett is co-author, along with Dr. Jeffrey Robinson and Philana Patterson, of Black Faces in White Places: 10 Game Changing Strategies to Achieve Success and Find Greatness.
Sept. 16, 2014, 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. ET: Anie Akpe founder of IBOM LLC (@IBOMLLC), a global small business development company, and CEO and publisher of Innov8tiv.com, an interactive media platform focused on blacks in technology in Africa, the Caribbean, and throughout the Diaspora.
To participate in the From the Corner Office Twitter chat series, tweet questions and comments using the hashtag #BECornerOffice.