Get ready for a new generation of young, bold innovators. I’m talking about an elite group of corporate professionals, entrepreneurs, and inventors, between the ages of 21 and 35, already making their presence felt in global business. These men and women are quickly becoming a transformative force, applying novel ideas, fresh approaches, and technological know-how to solve today’s business challenges and, in the process, change the way we work, communicate, consume, live, and play. More than ever, industry needs young people who are not bound by convention to find the next invention. It was that identification of fearless, creative, and energetic achievers that spawned “BE Next‖an apt tag that defines not only our latest editorial franchise but those leading the movement that will reconstruct the business landscape.
I urge established business leaders, like many of you, to fully harvest this bumper crop of talent. Why? Their strong entrepreneurial bent can help companies, large and small, stay competitive. They’re children of the digital era, attuned to the Internet and social media as powerful, inventive means of communication and information-gathering. Moreover, they’re not tied to outdated modes of operation. So whether you’re an entrepreneur or senior manager, you don’t want to overlook a valuable asset to your employee or vendor pools–regardless of age.
Too often, older executives and entrepreneurs–even some of my business peers–have been
rather dismissive of young professionals. Many have the tendency to silence these voices, ignore potential contributions, and snuff out enthusiasm, maintaining that the under-35 crowd hasn’t sufficiently paid dues. Facing relentless competitive forces on a daily basis, companies must be receptive to individuals and concepts that will give them a much-needed edge. In fact, I have found that young blood serves to replenish companies by pumping them with a much-needed infusion of passion and energy.Identifying and tapping the value of young talent has been one of the hallmarks of black enterprise throughout the four decades of our existence. This philosophy has been demonstrated in the presentation of content in our magazine, at our events, on our television shows, and Website. For example, it was be that discovered a young Wall Street attorney in the 1970s who would eventually develop into a dealmaker nonpareil orchestrating one of the largest global business transactions in history and, as a result, creating the first black-owned company to gross $2 billion. That man was
Reginald F. Lewis. It was also on the pages of the December 1985 issue of be that we revealed the prowess of a 34-year-old Kenneth I. Chenault, a senior vice president of American Express at the time, who today runs that financial services giant as its chairman and CEO. And when we revealed 30 leaders for the future in the August 2000 issue, we spotlighted, among others, 31-year-old Mellody Hobson as president of Ariel Capital Management (No. 4 on the be asset managers list with $4.3 billion in assets under management), who has grown to become a powerhouse in the mutual fund industry and corporate boardrooms. These are but a few names of those who displayed great promise. We have identified scores of other achievers who can now be found on our series of registries, from the list of the 100 Most Powerful Executives in Corporate America to the be 100s.
It has been a part of corporate management practices to nurture young talent since my father, Earl G. Graves Sr.–a BE Nexter of his day–launched this magazine in 1970 at the age of 35. Early on, he realized the benefits of not placing false limitations on individual ability due to an employee’s age. Over the years, he would spot and mentor editorial and business talent, giving them an opportunity to innovate, succeed, and, yes, make mistakes. In fact, some of his charges work for be to this day: Editors-in-Chief of the magazine and Website, Derek T. Dingle and Alfred A. Edmond Jr., respectively, played significant roles in running editorial operations when they were in their 20s; and Creative Director Terence Saulsby was overseeing magazine and
corporate design by the age of 30. I was among that group of recruits as well. At 27, I was responsible for generating revenues as senior vice president of advertising. My father’s confidence and guidance enabled us to reach our full potential and manage distinct areas of the company.Today, as CEO, I continue this tradition. I credit the practice with moving our business forward, from a single-publication enterprise to a full-fledged multimedia company. I’ve always believed that youthful energy and out-of-the-box thinking was a major requirement for advancing a business agenda. We have been able to expand, in part, through the significant contributions of our in-house version of BE Next–smart, young professionals who make up roughly a third of be’s workforce. From content development and event planning to marketing and multimedia sales, our company has
derived a multitude of benefits from their skill, drive, unique perspective, and mastery of new technology. In fact, these young professionals have been vital to our Website development and use of social media networks to reach different segments of our audience. In effect, much of the development of the BE Next franchise can be attributed to the under-35 set, led by Tennille M. Robinson, a 27-year-old former intern who currently serves as the magazine’s small business editor.
It is my belief that the best way to serve our
audience and clients comes from cross-generational input and debate. By doing so, we can develop useful, rich content and products without compromising standards. In many of these discussions, we’ve even encouraged interns–a good number of whom have become be employees over the years–to engage in the dialogue. Our company will remain dynamic and relevant as long as we allow BE Nexters to have a voice, give them loads of responsibility, and a bit of guidance. In the process, we build a group of young professionals prepared to take on any challenge. Simply put, they represent our future.So I take great pride in serving as a generational bridge for business leaders who came to power at the same time as my father, my peers who have taken the reins of business and corporate leadership, and an emerging business class starting to blaze trails. It would be foolhardy for any of us to trivialize the efforts of young professionals, as it would be heretic to send old-guard managers to the business equivalent of a glue factory. Each generation can learn from another. There are valuable lessons from past experiences. There are incredible efficiencies in developing new processes. There are significant achievements to be made in reshaping a company’s vision. Embracing this generation is the first step in business evolution. BE Next is now.