EBS Universal’s Post

Nobody talks about the Black woman who built a bank from scratch in 1903 — inside a system that wouldn't even let her open an account. Her name was Maggie Lena Walker. She didn't do it by being the loudest person in the room. She didn't do it by performing for people who didn't want her there. She did it by being so strategically brilliant that the system had no choice but to reckon with her. Born in Richmond, Virginia — the daughter of a formerly enslaved woman — Maggie Lena Walker built the St. Luke Penny Savings Bank from the ground up. At a time when Black people couldn't access financial institutions. When Black women were told their place was nowhere near a boardroom. When the system was designed to keep people like her out. She didn't leave. She didn't wait for permission. She built her OWN table inside a system that said she couldn't. Sound familiar? 122 years later, Black women are STILL building tables inside systems not designed for them. Still told they don't quite have the right... presence. Still overlooked, underpaid, underestimated. Maggie Lena Walker knew what so many of us are still learning: Sometimes, the most revolutionary thing a Black woman can do is refuse to be moved. Stay. Build. Lead. Disrupt from the inside. That's not just Black history. That's our blueprint. #BlackHistoryMonth #BlackWomenLead #LeadingHerIntrovertWay #MaggieWalker #BlackWomenInCorporate #BlackWomenLeaders #IntrovertLeadership #BlackExcellence

Building as a Black Founder: Environment Matters I’m often asked about the difference between building a business in the UK versus Sweden. The UK is highly business-friendly. Lower corporate taxes. Lower employment costs. Faster execution. If your objective is rapid scale, the ecosystem supports that. It rewards visibility and momentum. But it also demands constant validation. As a Black woman leading a global brand, I experienced a subtle but consistent scrutiny in the UK. Not overt discrimination but recurring questions. How did you rise? Who is backing you? And some of that skepticism came from within the Black community itself. When you are also married to a visibly Rastafarian Black man, perception management becomes part of operational reality. It isn’t hostility. It’s friction. Sweden operates differently. Higher taxes. Heavier compliance. More regulation. And yes, it is more openly xenophobic today than when I left five years ago. Yet structurally, it offers stability. Predictable systems. Strong family frameworks. Genuine work-life balance. And here, I am introduced simply as an entrepreneur not as a category. That distinction matters. The UK rewards speed. Sweden supports sustainability. Both environments have value, which is why our headquarters remain in the UK. But at this stage of life with children, marriage and long-term positioning in mind sustainability is the stronger strategy. Growth builds revenue. Stability builds legacy.

Black Unity Requires More Than Posts The truth can be uncomfortable, but it needs to be said. I see no shortage of posts about Black unity, solidarity, sovereignty, independence, collaboration, economic empowerment, justice, and building Black wealth. The language is powerful and the intentions sound right. But when I look beyond the posts, I don’t see enough of this actually happening. From my observation, many of the people promoting unity are not actively reaching out to collaborate with Black businesses, Black digital platforms, or Black-led communities to build shared infrastructure—an ecosystem capable of hosting, growing, and sustaining the movement being discussed. What I see more often is Black people remaining on white-owned social media platforms, posting about what we need, expressing frustration, and competing for attention, likes, monetization, or personal brand growth. Too frequently, individual gain outweighs collective empowerment. When that happens, what is called a “movement” risks becoming little more than self-centered capitalism, entertainment, or ongoing conversation without coordinated action. Many Black entrepreneurs, creators, and organizers are attempting to start businesses, platforms, or movements around these same goals. The issues are clearly identified. The calls to action are strong. What’s missing is consistent participation, collaboration, and alignment across efforts. I rarely see posts celebrating Black businesses or platforms joining forces, sharing audiences, or building together toward a common future. That collective collaboration is the missing—and most critical—ingredient for long-term success. To be clear, I am not suggesting that Black people stop using white-owned social media platforms. At this stage, they are still where much of the audience exists, and there must be an education and transition period. However, those platforms are not where true ownership, sovereignty, or sustainable collective power will be built. Blaqsbi.com is a 100% Black-owned digital space that already exists and is ready to support this work. The foundation of the ecosystem has been built. The doors are open. What’s needed now is participation—showing up, collaborating, and helping to build and furnish our shared digital home. If we want unity, it has to move beyond language and into infrastructure, collaboration, and action. #BlackEconomicEmpowerment #BlackOwned #CollectivePower #DigitalSovereignty #BlackEntrepreneurs #CommunityBuilding #OwnershipMatters

Day 3 of: What Black People Actually Want Today’s focus: Nonprofits Almost every nonprofit board I’ve worked with has included at least one openly racist, sexist, or homophobic board member. And almost every time, excuses were made: “They’re learning.” “They mean well.” “They bring in money.” That “learning” too often happens at the expense of Black staff, who are expected to tolerate harm, educate adults with power, or stay silent for the sake of funding. Let me be clear: no amount of money justifies sacrificing the dignity and humanity of Black employees. If nonprofits are serious about equity, here’s what needs to change: 1. Make values non-negotiable in board recruitment. Stop assuming alignment. Vet for it. Ask direct questions about race, power, equity, and accountability before someone joins. 2. Do not make staff responsible for board members’ growth. If board members need development around equity, hire external coaches. And make continued board service contingent on real growth, not intention. 3. Establish clear standards and consequences for board behavior. Sexual harassment, racist comments, or abusive conduct should trigger immediate action, not private excuses or prolonged tolerance. Boards shape culture. And culture tells Black staff whether they are protected, or expendable. #blackhistorymonth #day3 #culturestrategist #executivecoach #shiftedconsulting #Blackhistory365 #100yearsofBlackHistory

Black History Month is not symbolic. It’s instructional. For much of U.S. history, Black entrepreneurship was legally blocked, not lacking talent, vision, or work ethic. Here’s a validated brief timeline many people do not know or were never taught: • 1865 – Enslavement ends, but Black Americans face Black Codes restricting business ownership • 1866 – Black Americans gain the legal right to own a business under the Civil Rights Act • 1870 – Black Americans gain the right to own and register trademarks • 1870 – Black inventors are legally able to own patents (after decades of exclusion) • 1934–1968 – Redlining and federal lending policies largely block Black access to commercial loans • 1968 – Fair Housing Act makes it legal for Black Americans to buy commercial real estate without discrimination • 1974 – Equal Credit Opportunity Act finally makes it illegal to deny business loans based on race or gender That’s less than 60 years ago for full legal access to capital and property. Less than 60 years ago. We have not had a full century of full opportunity to stand up. So when we say “support Black-owned businesses,” we are not asking for charity. We are correcting history—with dollars, contracts, partnerships, and opportunity. It “does not” mean you lose, there is plenty for us all - equitably. I cannot win if you hate me and act on it. This month, and every month: ✔ Buy Black ✔ Bank Black ✔ Partner Black ✔ Invest Black Because equity isn’t a slogan—it’s action. #BlackHistoryMonth #BuyBlack #BlackOwnedBusinesses #EconomicEquity #BlackEntrepreneurs #CapitalAccess #Ownership #Leadership

Why Supporting Black Businesses Is Vital Black-owned firms make up roughly 3% of U.S. firms. White-owned firms make up over 80% of race-identified firms. This means black people are structurally 27 times more likely to work for white owned firms than the other way around. If just a small fraction of those firms engaged in biased hiring, the impact on the Black economy would be massive — because access to jobs is concentrated. The Black unemployment rate is currently around 7%+, consistently higher than the national average. This isn’t just about bias. It’s about ownership. Ownership determines hiring. Ownership determines economic resilience. Ownership determines life outcomes. If we want stronger communities, it only takes two steps: Step 1: Move your money to Black-owned banks. Step 2: Support Black-owned businesses. We’ve built a resource to help. At Emerald Book, Inc., we’ve listed every Black-owned bank in America at emeraldbook.org/banks/ and thousands of Black-owned businesses across the country at emeraldbook.org Ownership is power. Let’s build it together.

We're advancing economic opportunity across every part of the Firm — from our clients and insights to our actions and giving. One part of our ongoing journey to foster sustainable and inclusive growth is our Action 9 initiative. By committing $200 million by 2030 in pro bono work that helps advance opportunity among Black communities globally, we provide support and partnership to organizations that create pathways to success and break down the barriers that have prevented people from achieving their full potential. We believe when organizations thrive, economies prosper, and people progress. Learn more about Action 9 here: https://mck.co/3P0UHT1 #SustainableInclusiveGrowth

Your mindset can be reset tour starting soon. Categories and conversations that need to be had with the next-gen. 🧩 Why Black Communities Often Don’t Own the Businesses in Their Own Neighborhoods 1. Systemic Barriers to Capital For decades, Black entrepreneurs were denied: - Bank loans - Lines of credit - Fair interest rates - Business insurance - Commercial property ownership Other groups — including immigrant communities — often come with: - Rotating credit systems (susu, tanda, hui) - Family capital pools - Community lending circles - Shared business ownership models Black Americans were historically blocked from building these systems because of: - Redlining - Jim Crow - Urban renewal destroying Black business districts - Predatory lending - Lack of intergenerational wealth This isn’t about ability — it’s about access. --- 2. Commercial Real Estate Is Rarely Black-Owned Most stores in Black neighborhoods sit in buildings owned by: - Corporations - Developers - Non-Black landlords If you don’t own the building, you don’t control: - Rent - Lease terms - What businesses can operate - Whether a Black business can survive Ownership is the foundation of power. --- 3. Immigrant Communities Often Have Stronger Internal Economic Networks Many minority groups operate with: - Group economics - Family-run businesses - Cultural expectations to support their own - Shared living to reduce expenses Black Americans were intentionally fragmented through: - Slavery - Forced migration - Family separation - Economic sabotage So the internal economic network is still rebuilding. --- 4. Consumer Habits Were Shaped by Survival When you grow up in a system where: - Prices are higher - Wages are lower - Options are limited You learn to buy what’s available, not what’s owned by your people. That’s not a moral failing — it’s conditioning.

"Black History Month reminds me that my career is built on the resilience, excellence, and sacrifices of those who came before me, often without access to the opportunities I have today." Autumn Edmondson works at our Little Rock branch as Assistant Network Manager, which is a fancy way of saying that she makes sure the bank says connected, protected, and running smoothly for our customers. "One thing I've learned working in banking is how deeply historical barriers have shaped today's financial landscape, particularly for the Black community. Practices excluded Black families and businesses from wealth-building opportunities like homeownership and entrepreneurship. These weren't isolated moments in history, their effects are still felt today." #BoulderBankers #StoneBank #BlackHistoryMonth

The lack of tech adoption in Black owned businesses is not a coincidence. It is historical. Systemic and gendered racism pushed Black entrepreneurs into narrowly defined sectors while limiting access to capital, infrastructure, and emerging technologies. Over time, those constraints shaped who was expected to innovate and who was expected to survive without tools. And still, Black entrepreneurs continue to adapt and build. Many are actively rewriting this narrative by leveraging technology in spaces where access was once denied. Black History Month invites us to connect past policy to present outcomes. Not to dwell there, but to understand how innovation has always existed even when opportunity did not. Equity in business ecosystems requires more than celebration. It requires intentional access to technology, networks, and capital. What changes when we design systems that support innovation rather than restrict it? #BlackHistoryMonth #BlackEntrepreneurs #TechEquity #Innovation #BusinessHistory #Leadership