From October 3-7, 2022, The ELC hosted a week of events aimed at impacting every level of our current and future membership base, from student scholars to mid-level managers to CEOs. Our primary focus is to nurture and amplify Black excellence and leadership in business. Check out a recap of each of those events below.

ELC Scholars from 41 universities across the nation convened at the Courtyard Marriott in Washington, D.C. for the Annual Honors Symposium to discuss professional development with executives from corporations like Bank of America, Moody’s, HSBC and others. The students participated in workshops on topics like: Design Thinking, Executive Presence and Networking led by executives from Synchrony and HSBC.

This year, over 130 scholars were awarded over $1.5M in scholarships from 14 companies. Scholarships were sponsored by the following corporations: Bank of America, Bristol Myers Squibb, Linde, Brunswick, Hewlett-Packard, Otsuka, Johnson & Johnson, Chevron, HSBC, Nationwide, Lowe’s, ExxonMobil, Moody’s, Synchrony and The Coca-Cola Foundation.

Of the students awarded scholarships, 61% were women, 61% attend HBCUs and 73% are studying STEM or business-related topics.

As part of the Honors Symposium, the scholars attended the networking reception at the National Museum of African American History & Culture (NMAAHC) sponsored by 3M and were able to enjoy their own Scholars “Watch Party” held in an adjacent ballroom during the ELC Recognition Gala. Students also attended a pinning ceremony and were pinned by ELC members and corporate executives to signify The ELC’s commitment to their development and the Black talent pipeline.

For more information on the ELC Scholars and the Honors Symposium, visit: www.elcscholars.com or contact Leah Wade at lwade@elcinfo.com.

Nearly 1000 Black professionals from 170 of the nation’s largest Fortune 500 corporations participated in The ELC’s annual Mid-level Managers’ Symposium at the Marriott Marquis in Washington, D.C.

The theme of the two-day program was “Reimagining the Classics” and it featured panels like: Leading from the Middle While Black: The Struggle is Real, The Art of the Pivot and Navigating Your Career Upward, While Zig Zagging Through Your Organization.

This year was the first time The ELC held two MLMS events, virtual and in-person, where mid-level managers were able to participate from wherever they were. Amazon, Cisco, PepsiCo, Marriott, BP, Estee Lauder Companies, and more were among the highest represented organizations both in-person and online. And MLMS panels were led by corporate leaders from organizations like NASCAR, Pfizer and Target. The keynote featured award-winning television producer and creator of Black-ish Kenya Barris.

For information on MLMS, contact Ramien Pierre at rpierre@elcinfo.com.

CEOs from BlueLinx, Edelman, TIAA, Target, Johnson & Johnson and select ELC members came together for a day-long closed-door session to discuss best practices around diversity, equity and inclusion during the 2022 ELC GameChanger Conference at the Marriott Marquis in Washington, D.C.

ELC member and author of The Waymakers: Clearing the Path to Workplace Equity with Competence and Confidence Tara Jaye Frank facilitated the event along with ELC President and CEO Michael C. Hyter. The panels included topics like:  Advacning Black Talent: Beyond Allyship, Our Voices: Black at Work, “Blacklash”: Promoting Black Talent While Managing White Fear and more.

Speakers included: Joaquin Duato, CEO of Johnson & Johnson, Brian Cornell, Board Chair and CEO at Target Corporation, Carla Harris, Senior Client Advisor at Morgan Stanley, Janice Innis-Thompson, SVP of Corporate Litigation and Legal Operations at Nationwide, Lisa Osborne Ross, CEO of Edelman, and Dwight Gibson, President & CEO of BlueLinx Corporation. The keynote fireside address from TIAA CEO & ELC Member Thasunda Brown Duckett focused on her journey to the C-Suite and the “mindset, preparation, partnership and practice” she uses to stay there.

For more information on CEO GameChanger, contact Stephanie Monroy at smonroy@elcinfo.com.

More than 1,900 professionals from Corporate America and global corporations attended the 2022 ELC Recognition Gala at the Marriott Marquis in Washington, D.C. The event, which was held in-person for the first time in two years, featured a performance by Grammy Award winning artist Babyface. The theme of the Gala and Awards Dinner was “Unstoppable Together”.

More than 50 companies purchased tables to celebrate Black talent and the strides made by Black leaders in corporations during an evening in the Nation’s Capital. The evening was hosted by Kevin Frazier, co-host of Entertainment Tonight.

The following companies and individuals were honored throughout the evening:

• 2022 Achievement Award – Marvin Ellison, Chairman and CEO, Lowe’s Companies, Inc.
• 2022 Alvaro L. Martins Heritage Award – Brenda J. Lauderback, Board Chair, Denny’s Corporation
• 2022 Global Game Changer – Ambassador Andrew Young, Jr.
• 2022 Corporate Award – Target Corporation, accepted by Target Chairman and CEO Brian Cornell

Johnson & Johnson served as the lead sponsor of the gala and Coca-Cola and Google will serve as co-lead sponsors of the gala for the next four years.

Presenting Sponsors included: Bank of America, IBM and UPS. Supporting Sponsors included: Nationwide and Raytheon and Contributing Sponsors included: General Motors, Meta, Novartis and PwC. The Gala entertainment was sponsored by Google and the Unleash You Spirit sponsor was Beam Suntory. DJ Jazzy Jeff provided the soundtrack for the gala afterparty.

The 2023 ELC Recognition Gala is scheduled for October 5, 2023 at the Gaylord Hotel in National Harbor, Maryland.

For more information about the Gala, contact Mayra Espinoza at mespinoza@elcinfo.com. 

ELC President and CEO Mike Hyter hosted 70 ELC Members at the inaugural ELC Gala Closing Brunch at the Marriott Marquis on Friday morning after the Gala. The brunch brought ELC members together to recap the Gala and to discuss their involvement moving forward.

ELC Founder Milt Irvin was in attendance as the group discussed the growth of the organization since its founding 36 years ago. During the brunch, Mike thanked and acknowledged ELC staff, the ELC Gala Committee and it’s chair Johnson & Johnson’s VP of DEI Marketing Donna Wilson for her work on the event and her partnership as the lead sponsor of the Gala.

For additional information on the Member Brunch or sponsorship opportunities, contact Mayra Espinoza at mespinoza@elcinfo.com.

During Gala week, The ELC welcomed over 3000 Black professionals and 99 speakers to discuss corporate diversity and the Black talent pipeline in the Nation’s Capital.