2023 Annual Meeting Agenda
“Making the Case for Optimism”
Check back regularly for new additions to the agenda
HGF Salon Series (Invite Only)
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Tuesday, December 5th | Special Guest: Alex Rodriguez, CEO, A-Rod Corporation
Wednesday, December 6th | Andrew Young Presents: "The Color of Money", Screening and Q&A with Ambassador Andrew Young and John Hope Bryant
Saturday, December 9th | Special Guest: Angela Yee, Host, Way Up with Angela Yee & Friends
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Tuesday, December 5th | Special Guest: Alex Rodriguez, CEO, A-Rod Corporation
Wednesday, December 6th | Andrew Young Presents: "The Color of Money", Screening and Q&A with Ambassador Andrew Young and John Hope Bryant
Saturday, December 9th | Special Guest: Angela Yee, Host, Way Up with Angela Yee & Friends
December 10
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3:00 PM | iHeart Black Effect Network Podcast Taping "Black Tech, Green Money with Will Lucas"
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4:00PM | Early Bird Registration (Hyatt Regency Ballroom Level)
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4:45PM | Social + Networking Cocktail Reception (Hyatt Regency Ballroom Level)
5:00PM | Executive Welcome Reception (invite-only)
6:00PM | Opening Reception + Dinner
7:00PM | EVENING TRACK: CELEBRATING RESILIENCY
(Centennial Ballroom)
6:30PM | Welcome
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December 11
7:00AM | Registration Opens
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7:30AM | Executive Welcome Breakfast (invite-only) "2024 and Beyond: What Every Leader Needs to Know"
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7:30AM | Continental Breakfast
8:45AM | MORNING TRACK: THE BUSINESS OF INCLUSION (Centennial Ballroom)
8:30AM | Welcome
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9:15AM | Investing in Inclusive Growth
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11:15AM | STRAIGHT TALK “BREAKOUT SESSIONS”
(Regency Ballrooms V, VI, VII)
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“Help Wanted: Entrepreneurship and the Future of Work”
Moderated By:
As technology advances, the future of work is being reshaped in profound ways. Legacy industries continue to evolve while under the threat of obsolescence while shifting consumer trends and preferences require companies to demonstrate increased agility.
New and emerging technologies—including artificial intelligence, robotics, and big data—are playing an increasingly important role in shaping the jobs of the future, by shifting jobs between sectors, transforming the kinds of tasks that are done in existing jobs, and changing how people connect to work. Traditional employment is beginning to look more and more like “gig” work, with unpredictable work schedules and more precarious working conditions and rewards.
The pandemic unleashed new levels of entrepreneurial energy, while also resetting expectations between workers and employers. If harnessed properly, new technologies have the potential to create new industries, occupations, and jobs. Rather than simply replacing human labor, technology can augment it. Tech can also be a boon to people with disabilities and has the potential to help increase human productivity as well as job quality. Every industrial revolution has also served as an incubator for innovation, that transformed and accelerated the adaptation of new technologies.
How can entrepreneurs thrive in the new digital economy? Can AI create as many jobs as it upends, even while increasing productivity and GDP? What strategies should businesses adopt to remain competitive and resilient in the face of changing work trends? How can we ensure the workplace of tomorrow is inclusive and offers shared opportunities? How are remote work and digital nomadism impacting entrepreneurship? What qualities and skills will be essential for leadership in the workplace of the future?
(Regency V)
“Value in Vitality: Making the Case for Community Investment”
Moderated by:
Companies around the world engage in community investment efforts to promote development and benefit local stakeholders in their areas of operation. Done well, community investment can help establish mutually beneficial relationships between a company and its stakeholders (internal and external), contribute toward long-term improvements in the quality of life for local communities, and help create an environment conducive to private investment.
While the biggest contribution a company normally makes is in the positive impact of the business itself—through employment, contracts, its supply chain, and payment of taxes— voluntary community investment programs offer an important additional avenue for enhancing positive impacts and socioeconomic benefits.
Good practice in this area is evolving. Companies are moving away from philanthropic donations and to more sophisticated and strategic ways of planning and delivering their community investment programs. There is greater emphasis on the business case—on viewing community investment through the lens of risks and opportunities, and on creating “shared value” by aligning business goals with the development priorities of local stakeholders.
Even with the increased involvement of the private sector, the role of federal, local and state governments, along with the vast experience and representation of community-based groups remain essential in effective deployment of community investments throughout the stages of project development.
Define “community investment” and why is it crucial for both economic growth and social development? How can we create a long-term vision for community investment that is adaptable to changing economic and social conditions? How can we ensure that community investment benefits all residents, especially traditionally marginalized communities? What are the biggest challenges faced in community investment and what innovative solution have been found? What policies are needed at the local, state or federal level to facilitate effective community investment?
(Regency VI)
"Breaking the Class Ceiling: Strategies to Increase Social Mobility"
Moderated by:
The World Economic Forum found that $514 billion could be added to the global economy if the countries in their study increased rankings in the Global Social Mobility Index by 10 points. While many of the impediments to improving social mobility are inherent in one’s place of birth, gender, family history, racial and ethnic background, it is generally agreed that moving the needle on economic, occupational and educational mobility can support in changing outcomes.
Effective strategies require innovative and collaborative efforts from government, private sector and community-based organizations. When successful, increased social mobility results in greater financial and economic opportunities and intergenerational wealth, with the result being stabilized individuals, families and communities.
How can we effectively address the barriers to homeownership for low and middle-income families? How does improved access to capital influence local economies, and what are the broader economic benefits? How is technology, especially fintech, innovating around financing and capital access? What is the role of financial institutions in improving access for underrepresented groups?
(Regency VII)
11:15AM | HGF Masterclass
(Learning Center)
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“Navigating the BrandScape: Standing Out in a Saturated Market”
Moderated By:
In this dynamic interactive panel/workshop session, corporate and celebrity branding experts Nikki Barjon and Alex Wagner will delve into the world of branding and how it can catalyze sustainable and profitable business success.
The workshop will include:
- What is Branding?
- The Branding Process
- Brand Consistency
- Live Brand Audits
- Building Your Personal Brand
- Audience Q&A
Drawing on her extensive experience working with top celebrities and corporations, Nikki will share success stories and practical insights from her work with world-class champions to celebrities and corporations from CBS Television, Bentley Motors, Nike, Martha Stewart to professional athletes and entertainers like T.I., Stephen Curry and more.
Alexandra Wagner serves as the Brand Purpose Marketing leader for Truist Financial Corporation, helping to amplify and accelerate Truist brand distinction through purpose and Care.
She has most recently helped create the innovative brand ad campaign of “Real Stories of Care” which broke the typical brand ad mold by featuring the real stories of real clients and real teammates and their authentic caring relationships.
She leads key purpose distinction programs at Truist, including the uniquely positioned Money and Mindset financial education platform on Truist.com. Prior to this role, as Director of Purpose Integration and as Chief Purpose Ambassador, she led the Purpose Integration team along with the grassroots Purpose Ambassador program to catalyze purpose from the inside out.
(Learning Center)
12:00PM | LUNCHEON TRACK: TRUTH MATTERS
(Centennial Ballroom)
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1:30PM | “IDEA LABS” BREAKOUT SESSIONS
(Regency Ballrooms V, VI, VII)
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“A Place Called Home: Cracking the Affordable Housing Code”
Moderated By:
Homeownership remains the most significant driver of social mobility, wealth creation, retirement stability and intergenerational wealth in America. Importantly, homeownership does not require a college degree or mastery of a native language to be able to participate, making it a more attractive option for wealth-building among traditionally underserved populations.
Yet the dream and benefits of homeownership are becoming increasingly out of reach for more and more American households. Fewer Americans can afford housing nationwide, with the share of households able to afford the median priced home rapidly decreasing. Supply, particularly single-family homes, remains constrained with an “underbuilding gap” of 6 million + units over the last 20 years, according to the NAR. The supply challenge drives up prices, unable to meet the demand, while incomes have not kept pace with soaring rental and home prices.
Where can we begin to address some of the barriers to entry in the housing market? What policy changes could significantly improve access to homeownership? What can lenders do to make mortgages more accessible to a broader population? Can financial literacy help increase homeownership rates, and what can be done to improve it among first-time homebuyers? In the context of increasing rental rates, how can we make homeownership a more viable and attractive option for young adults and families?
(Regency V)
“Defining Wellbeing: Transforming Our Approach to Tomorrow”
Moderated By:
In our rapidly changing and increasingly complex world, redefining and prioritizing wellbeing – where we work, live and play – has become not just an aspiration, but essential. The recent pandemic exacerbated and highlighted many issues that had been percolating under the surface for years: loneliness and isolation, more and more people living paycheck to paycheck, the evolving impacts of technology and social media on our societal health, continued lack of equity throughout our public and private institutions and a reckoning around long-simmering issues of social justice.
Within that shared experience, a broader understanding and empathy evolved towards issues no one previously felt comfortable to discuss, or willing to address. The private sector took a leading role, providing a platform using its reach as an employer and community stakeholder to innovate in ways not thought possible just years earlier. Financial health, mental health and physical health have become increasingly recognized as interdependent and instrumental in helping to strengthen individual and community-based wellbeing.
How should we define wellbeing in today’s world, and how has this definition evolved over time? What impact does the increasing use of technology and digital media have on our wellbeing, individually and as a society? What role should public policy play in promoting and supporting the wellbeing of citizens? How can we improve awareness and reduce stigmas associated with mental health issues in various communities? What responsibility do corporations have in supporting the wellbeing of their employees?
(Regency VI)
“Business Beyond Borders: Scaling Small Business in the Global Marketplace”
Moderated By:
Small businesses are engines of economic growth and job creation in the U.S., yet many struggle to grow, find and retain talent, or access to capital. Over 50% of the American workforce is employed by a small business. The pandemic unleashed a surge in small business growth, with small business growth outpacing deaths for the first time in over 20 years.
This was largely driven by new entrepreneurial energy amongst Black business owners, led by Black women, who outpaced all other groups. Yet women and minority-owned businesses remain woefully underfunded and lacking in support, with 96% of Black-owned firms having no employees.
The world of e-commerce, coupled with an infusion of new, heavily funded public and private sector initiatives, offer small businesses tremendous opportunities to grow and scale their business. Scaling gives business owners a chance to break out of the time-consuming owner-operator role. It can allow owners to turn over day-to-day tasks to managers or create a pathway for your exit pathway to selling the business. Scaling can help a company to become a major player in its industry, perhaps even on a global scale.
What does scaling look like and what does it take to scale up? What role can e-commerce play in helping scale revenue in order to scale operations? What types of factors should a small business consider when thinking of expanding into global marketplaces? What options are available for small businesses seeking funding or investment for expansion, especially for women and minority-owned firms?
(Regency VII)
1:30PM | HGF Masterclass
(Learning Center)
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“Demystifying Government: Putting Public Officials to Work for You”
Government today – whether at the local, state or federal level – seems increasingly inaccessible and unresponsive to the average citizen. So much so, that we forget our elected and appointed officials work for us, not the other way around. Yet, the halls of government are filled with earnest and hard-working servant-leaders – career employees, elected officials and their staff – actively able and willing to support their constituents.
Drawing on his experience as a long-time member of the Georgia State Assembly, Representative Dexter Sharper and his team will conduct an interactive workshop to equip individuals and small business owners with the tools to create and foster connections with their government.
Workshop will feature:
- Understanding How Government Works
- Scaling Your Business for Government Contracts
- How to “Market” Your Business to Elected Officials
- Utilizing Networking to Build Relationships with Elected Officials
- Actionable Takeaways
Georgia State Representative Dexter Sharper is the first African American elected as State Representative in the history of his city, and the youngest African American City Councilman & Mayor Pro-Tem to hold those offices.
(Learning Center)
3:15PM | AFTERNOON TRACK: RESTORING EQUILIBRIUM
(Centennial Ballroom)
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4:00 PM | Small Business is Everyone's Business: A Conversation with SBA Administrator Isabel Guzman
. 4:20PM | Special Presentation
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6:00PM | Social and Networking Reception
December 12
7:00AM | Registration Opens
7:00AM | Continental Breakfast
7:30AM | Executive Roundtables (invite-only)
8:30AM | MORNING TRACK: HEALING THE TIES THAT BIND
(Centennial Ballroom)
8:30AM | Welcome
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8:35AM | Remarks: U.S. Deputy Secretary Wally Adeyemo
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9:25AM | Closing the Racial Wealth Gap: Hope for Today and Tomorrow: A Conversation with U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Marcia L. Fudge
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12:00PM | Redefining the Rules: The Entrepreneurial Journey of Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky
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