Kezia Williams

As CEO of the Black upstart, I lead a team of talented professionals to train early-stage African-American entrepreneurs interested in starting job-creating, bankable small businesses. To date we have trained nearly 200 small business creators in Washington, DC; Brooklyn, NY; Raleigh, NC; Durham, NC, and Baltimore, Maryland and engaged a network of over 66,000 African-American creatives, entrepreneurs, and innovators via our social media platforms. Forty-one percent (41%) of our program graduates are still in business, 50% of them are employers. In 2014, I was commissioned by the United Negro College Fund to launch a $25 million national entrepreneurship initiative benefiting African-American undergraduate students seeking scholarship support and business training. To date, I have successfully scaled the program from 44 scholars to 350 scholars representing over 90 colleges and universities. In addition to awarding nearly $1 million dollars in scholarships to our undergraduate cohorts, I have developed entrepreneurship curricula validated by the Frederick D. Patterson Research Institute, advised the launch of an online learning platform, directed a faculty advisory board, and piloted a mentoring program connecting academia and industry leaders to scholars. My past leadership positions have included serving as the youngest member on the City of Alexandria’s Human Rights Commission (2005-2008), a prolific fundraiser for the 2008 Obama for America campaign raising $250,000 (2008-2009), and Deputy Lead for National Day of Service for Obama's 57th Presidential Inaugural Committee (2013). My work with social entrepreneurs and innovators of color has been recognized by Entrepreneur Magazine, Black Enterprise, Essence, BEACON, and the Washington Post. Proud alum of Christopher Newport University, and a native of Richmond, Virginia in my free time I enjoy reading the history I was never taught in grade school.