Black Professionals Month: Stronger Collaborations, Higher Roles of Leadership and Sustained Wealth

SUNRISE, Fla. - EntSun -- "Corporations identified as more diverse and inclusive are 35 percent more likely to outperform their competitors," according to McKinsey. October's inaugural Black Professionals Month (BPM) kicks-off on Friday, October 1 and features a stellar platform of sessions, panels, workshops, and events designed to showcase, develop and advance Black professionals around the world.

"Black Professionals Month is more than a month, it is a movement whose time has come.  A testament to the relevance of our work is supported by our 19-member BPM Advisory Board, 35 speakers who will be presenting at more than 60 virtual events throughout the entire month," says Jerome Hutchinson, Jr., co-founder, Black Professionals Month and chief servant officer and founder of ICABA World Network, the world's leading online community enhancing success for Black professionals and entrepreneurs.

BPM will present approximately 60 virtual sessions led by expert thought-leaders from around the world, including the U.S., South Africa and Canada.  "As of today, more than 1,000 individuals on LinkedIn have expressed their support of Black Professionals Month, and over 300 have already registered to attend the official kick-off event for this inaugural initiative," says Hutchinson.

Below are just some of the highlights:

PNC Bank presents the Opening Keynote Address

Dr. Dennis Kimbro, America's foremost thought leader on Black success and wealth and author of five books including, Think and Grow Rich, a Black Choice and The Wealth Choice. Dr. Kimbro, BPM's honorary chair, will deliver the keynote address during the BPM kick-off event on Friday, Oct. 1 from 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. EST. The theme – "BPM is more than a month. It's a movement."

Virtual Sessions

●      Mind Over Matter:  Conquering Anxious Thoughts with Dr. Caleah East, LMHC, chief executive officer, S.M.I.L.E Psychology & Associates will help attendees manage their anxiety on Tuesday, Oct. 5 from 12:00 p.m. to 12:45 p.m. EST.

●      Precious Williams, known as "The Killer Pitch Master," is the founder of Perfect Pitches by Precious and will help attendees "perfect their pitches" to grow their business, develop their brand and enhance their careers by learning the essential skills to pitch an idea to a business prospect, an investor, an employer on Thursday, Oct. 14 from 12:00 a.m. to 12:45 a.m. EST.

●      Fancy Vegan:  Plant Conscious Living with a Sophisticated Twist with Dr. Reggie Lewis, chief executive officer, Fancy Vegan, LLC, will explore the health benefits of a vegan diet on Wednesday, Oct. 6 and Oct. 13 from 12 p.m. to 12:45 p.m. EST.

●      Dr. Desiree (Jonas) Strickland, founder, Young Black Professionals LLC, will give insights about Navigating Your Career As A Young Black Professional on Wednesday, Oct. 13 from 1 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. EST.

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●      Estate Planning and Elder Law Attorney Keith R. Miles, chief executive officer, Keith R. Miles Law Firm, LLC, will lead an informative session focusing on Planning For Generational Wealth in the Black Community on Wednesday, Oct. 13 from 6 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. EST.

●      Retired Admiral US Naval Officer Sinclair M. Harris will provide insights about Diversity, Equity and Inclusion In The Sea Service on Thursday, Oct. 14 from 4:00 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. EST.

Virtual Workshops

●      The Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce is the sponsor for the four-part BPM Mainstream to Top Tier career advancement workshop series, led by BPM co-founder and brand strategist Denise Kaigler, will address personal branding, career blocks, leadership development, and career pathing on Saturday, Oct. 2, Oct. 9, Oct. 16, Oct. 23 from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. EST.

●      The ICABA World Network is the sponsor for the four-part "Think and Grow Rich" with best-selling author Dr. Dennis Kimbro will help Black professionals break the generational curse and learn the skills necessary to build wealth in the Black community on Wednesday, Oct. 6, Oct. 13, Oct. 20 and Oct. 27 from 5:00 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. EST.

TD Bank Presents the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Conference and Awards

●      The three-part Diversity Equity and Inclusion conference will explore ways business leaders can achieve a diverse, equal opportunity employment field with ample room for advancement regardless of gender and gender identity, race, sexual orientation or religious belief.

○        The first session – The Inequity of Equality -- will share insights from Nikki Lanier, senior vice president and regional executive, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis on Saturday, Oct. 30 from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. EST.

○        The second  session -- Why To Strike While We're Hot – is a panel being moderated by Barry Callender, senior principal, Korn Ferry, with insights from panelists including Dr. Theoria, DEI Manager, Cason, Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation on Saturday, Oct. 30 from 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. EST.

○        The third session -- Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Awards -- will be presented in five different categories -- corporate leadership, corporate innovation, individual innovation, emerging leader and legacy leader.  James Fripp, chief equity and inclusion officer, YUM! Brands will be the keynote speaker for the awards program on Saturday, Oct. 30 from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. EST.

YUM! Brands is a host sponsor for the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Conference and Awards.

TD Bank Presents the ICABA Marketplace Career and Business Matchmaker Event

This virtual session will enable employers and business executives to interview Black professionals and entrepreneurs on Tuesday, Oct. 26 from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

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BPM Global 100 Leading Black Professionals

During the entire month of October, BPM will showcase leading Black professionals, spotlight Black Professional organizations and celebrate Black Professional milestone achievements. The Meet the Global 100 Black Professionals on Saturday, Oct. 30 at 7 p.m. EST will unveil the BPM Global 100 publication profiling the BPM leading Black professionals worldwide.

In addition to the virtual sessions, workshops and DEI conference, BPM will host a virtual Faith Works Friday session each Friday beginning Oct. 8 from 12 p.m. to 12:45 p.m. to explore the role of faith in the careers and personal lives of Black professionals.

"Growing up poor in S.E, Washington, D.C., I didn't have access to career programs or Black professional thought leaders," says Denise Kaigler, co-founder, Black Professionals Month, and founder of MDK Brand Management, a brand management company helping individuals and organizations, reach their career or business goals.  "I would not have been able to accomplish the milestones in my career without the support of mentors, sponsors, coaches and career development programs.  Black Professionals Month will provide professional development to help Black professionals stand out and break through."

The investment to attend Black Professionals Month ranges from $49 for a Day pass to $99 for the Leader package (select BPM programs)  to $199 for the Executive package (full month of all access to BPM programs and events and premium programs).  To learn more about BPM programs, to attend or to become a sponsor, visit Black Professionals Month.

Black Professionals Month has four presenting sponsors -- PNC Bank, TD Bank, ICABA World Network, and MDK Brand Management. (https://www.mdkbrandmanagement.com/) The Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce (https://www.bostonchamber.com/) is the sponsor for BPM's Mainstream to Top Tier.  YUM! Brands (https://www.yum.com/wps/portal/yumbrands/Yumbrands) is a host sponsor for the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Conference. Additional sponsors include BizHack Academy (https://bizhack.com/), Becker (https://www.becker.com/), Comcast Rise (https://www.comcastrise.com/), Comprehensive Medical Aesthetics, (https://cmaesthetic.com/) Tinsley Family Concessions, (https://tfcfamily.com/) MI Group Inc. (https://migroupco.com/about-us/), Sociallybuzz (https://teamsocialbuzz.com/), and Westside Gazette, (https://thewestsidegazette.com/) Miami Bayside Foundation (https://miamibaysidefoundation.org/), Meister Task (https://www.meistertask.com/pages/product-tour/), and The Watts Foundation (https://thewattsfoundation.org/).

About Black Professionals Month (https://blackprofessionalsmonth.com/)

Black Professionals Month (https://blackprofessionalsmonth.com/) celebrates and supports Black professionals worldwide with an entire month of virtual professional recognitions, events and programs designed to assist them to step up, stand out and break through into higher leadership roles and increased wealth.

About The Co-Founders

Black Professionals Month (https://blackprofessionalsmonth.com/) is co-founded by social impact entrepreneur Jerome Hutchinson, Jr. and former C-suite executive Denise Kaigler. Mr. Hutchinson, the chief servant officer of ICABA World Network, (https://icabaworldnetwork.com/) (ICABA), and Ms. Kaigler, a brand strategist, career coach, author and principal of MDK Brand Management, (https://www.mdkbrandmanagement.com/) joined forces during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic to help Black professionals in ways that help them step up, stand out and break through.