Shawn Baldwin: Black Enterprise 40 Under 40 (2005)

CO V E R S TO R Y

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They’re bold,

innovative, powerful—and all under 40

By The Editors

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OVER THE YEARS, BLACK ENTERPRISEH AS DEVELOPED A REPUTATION FO RIDENTIFYING BUSINESS SUPERSTARS INI N D U STRIES RANGING FROM FINANCEAND TECHNOLO GY TO MEDIA ANDE N T E RTA I N M E N T. We have placed a spotlight onmany of them before they have achieved full-blown marqueestatus. Once again, we unveil the best and the brightest, our Hot

List, a roster of extraordinary professionals and entrepreneursunder the age of 40 who have transformed American businessusing innovative products and practices.

This is the second time we have compiled our list—the inau-gural register debuted in 2003—and our team of editors andresearchers spent several months looking for peak performerswhose contributions have been so powerful that they would beconsidered impressive at any age. This year’s list runs the gamut

from BE 100S CEOs and financiers to innovative scientists andhip-hopreneurs.

How did we spot these supernovas? In an exhaustive search,our editorial team contacted business leaders, top-ranked cor-porate professionals, industry insiders, and national organiza-tions such as the National Society of Black Engineers, theNational Association of Investment Companies, The BlackEntertainment and Sports Lawyers Association, the National

Association of Securities Professionals, and the Executive Lead-ership Council. As a result, we found people who have influencedglobal markets and produced billions of dollars in revenueswith their talent and business prowess.

Over the following 16 pages, we reveal these young, power-ful African Americans. And while they are making ground-b r e a king contributions today, their impact will undoubtedly befelt tomorrow.

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CO V E R S TO R Y TH E H OT L I S T


CAPITAL MANAGEMENT GROUP SECURITIES

Why he’s hot: With more than 10years of experience in commercialbanking, investment banking, andresearch and securities brokerage,Shawn Baldwin has been on asteady rise to be one of Wall Street’smasters of the universe. His broker-age and asset management firm’strack record in initial public offer-ings has elevated his status: 59t r a n sactions totaling more than $40billion in value. In the last two yearsalone, his firm participated in severalIPOs, including GE spin-off GenworthFinancial and this year’s celebratedGoogle IPO. The Genworth dealadded about $2 million to the firm’scoffers while Google netted between$1.2 million and $1.4 million to date.The Antioch University graduate saidhe outpaced other BE 100S firms asso-ciated with the Google IPO. He’skeeping his company small—he hasonly nine employees in his Chicagooffice—and diverse. “Seventy-fivepercent of the people in my shopare African American, 85% areminorities, and 45% are women,”he s a y s .

SHAWN D.B A L D W I N

C E OAGE: 39

Actress, Producer, S p o k e s w o m a n

AGE: 39

President & Managing Director

AGE: 37

BANKABLE PRODUCTIONS

Why she’s hot: Tyra Banks, the first African-American woman to grace

the covers of G Q, Sports Illustrated’s swimsuit issue, and the V i c t o r i a ’ s

Secret catalogue, has turned her beauty into a hot commodity. Through

her film and television production company, Bankable Productions, she

has created vehicles that are, well, bankable. Established in 2003, her

company has developed the prime-time hit America’s Next Top Model.

As the reality show’s creator, executive producer, and star, Banks has

not only paved the way for aspiring models but she’s given the UPN

network a fresh franchise. Recently, she launched the hit syndicated

program The Tyra Banks Show. The talk show, designed for women ages

18 to 34, has averaged 1.7 million viewers since its debut in early

October. Also, XM Satellite Radio picked up the show and will include its

audio broadcast on Take 5, a new talk and lifestyle channel targeting

women. Bankable Productions’ other projects in development: a sitcom,

a one-hour drama, and a made-for-television movie.

+Ty ra Banks

Why she’s hot: With a focus onproducing high-q u a lity films, HalleBerry continues to be a powerhousein Hollywood. She recently receivedtwo Emmy nominations, one forher role in the ABC movie T h e i rEyes Were Watching God, a n danother as an executive producerof HBO’s critically acclaimed movieL a c k a w a nna Blues. The AcademyAward winning actress and Revlonspokeswoman is also producingupcoming films Foxy Brown a n dNappily Ever After. Next year, shewill reprise her role as Storm in thethird installment of the X - M e nfilm franchise, which grossed morethan $700 million at the box officew o r l d w i d e .

HALLE B E R R YHALLE B E R R Y

LANDSAFE INC., COUNTRYWIDEFINANCIAL CORP.

Why he’s hot: D. Steve Boland isthe youngest member to appearon BE’s list of the 75 Most PowerfulBlacks in Corporate America. Aspresident of LandSafe, he overseesthe provider of real estate infor-mation and closing services, whichgenerated $223 million and employs1,300 workers nationwide. He pre-sides over a holding company madeup of four subsidiaries associatedwith originating a mortgage, includ-ing a credit reporting agency, anappraisal management company,a flood determination company,and a title company. Today, Bolandseeks to use technology to auto-mate the process for closing loans.

D. STEVE B O L A N D

S u p e r m o d e l ,P r o d u c e r

AGE: 3 2


CITIGROUP REALTY SERVICESWhy she’s hot: Susan Chapman holds the No. 2 spot in her businessunit. Chapman manages day-to-day operations for 85 million squarefeet of space in 96 countries. To put these numbers into context, theNo. 1 real estate investment trust in the country has 117 million squarefeet in the U.S. Essentially, her division manages all of the real estatethat supports Citigroup’s businesses worldwide. “[Operating real estateinvolves] handling everything from policies and procedures to branchrollout to relationship management strategy,” she says. “If I didn’thave this job, I’d be bored, so I do the best I can, and give 100% oneverything I do.”

SUSAN C H A P M A N

Global Head of O p e r a t i o n s

AGE: 37

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CO V E R ST O RY TH E HO T L I ST

Why he’s hot: Cory Booker made national headlines with his tough, but failed attempt to unseat four-term Newark, New Jersey, Mayor Sharpe James in 2002. Today with endorsements as far reaching asR&B artist Alicia Keys and O magazine exec Gayle King, Booker is running for mayor again in 2006—andpundits believe he has a good shot at taking City Hall. The city councilman continues to make newswith his brand of grassroots politics, and stays close to his constituents by living in a tenement in oneof the most impoverished communities. The Rhodes Scholar has also built a successful law firm, whichhas grown from seven equity partners four years ago to 24 attorneys today.

DEF JAM RECORDINGSWhy he’s hot: As one of the biggest crossover artists of the rap industry,Jay-Z brings street credibility to Def Jam, which has reported revenues of $1billion. As co-founder of Roc-A-Fella Records, Jay-Z grew the company intoa multimillion dollar business with hitmakers like Kanye West and YoungGunz. From there, Roc-A-Fella spun off other ventures, including Roc-A-Wear apparel, Roc-A-Fella films, and the 40/40 nightclub. The mogul ownsa stake in the NBA’s New Jersey Nets and was responsible for $100 millionin sales for the fastest-sel ling sneaker in Reebok’s history. Tocommemorate his 10th anniversary in the music industry, Jay-Z designed alimited-edition timepiece with watchmaker Audemars Piguet worthupwards of $70,000.

BAD BOY ENTERTAINMENTWhy he’s hot: Sean “Diddy” Combs, the penultimate marketing machine, continues to bring hip-hop to themainstream, deftly growing his empire that includes music, clothing, and television. Last year, his Bad BoyRecord label entered into a multiyear joint venture with Warner Music Group, a transaction valued atroughly $30 million. Sean John, his apparel company, sold about $400 million in clothing—a figure thattranslates into $125 million to $150 million in wholesale revenues. And this year MTV announced a first-look production agreement with Bad Boy Entertainment, which produced the high-rated Making the Bandreality series.

SEARS, ROEBUCK AND CO.Why he’s hot: As the director ofspecialty marketing at Sears, Roe-buck and Co., Touré Claiborne isreinventing the Sears brand. In2005, Claiborne extended the retail-er’s relationship with NASCARCraftsman Truck Series and led themarketing efforts between Sears, TyPennington, and Extreme MakeoverHome: Edition on ABC. Since joiningSears in 2001, Claiborne has beenpromoted twice and is now respon-sible for six departments andapproximately $660 million infinancial responsibilities. A gradu-ate of the University of North Car-olina at Chapel Hill, Claiborne cameto Sears from DDB Worldwideadvertising agency and curr e n t l yserves on NASCAR’s Diversity Coun-cil. He is also the chairman of thePhiladelphia-based Urban YouthRacing School.

Director of SpecialtyMarketing

AGE: 3 3

TOURÉ C L A I B O R N E

+Cory Booke r Mayoral CandidateNewark, NJ

AGE: 3 6

SHAWN “JAY-Z” C A R T E R

President & CEO

AGE: 3 6

SEAN “DIDDY” C O M B S

C h a i r m a n& CEO

AGE: 3 6


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MALCOLM PIRNIE INC.Why she’s hot: Considered one of the world’s youngest and brightestenvironmental engineers, Nicole Brown is charged with managing NewYork City’s groundwater system. In her position, she’s been responsiblefor projects ranging from revamping the Big Apple’s water supplyduring the 2002 drought emergency to designing a system to pumpwater out of the ground and treat it for residential use. With a vastunderstanding of water treatment processes and design, Brown workswi th munic ipali t ies around the countr y to properly developenvironmentally friendly systems. “The main thrust of my work for NewYork has been to evaluate existing conditions and design improvementsof the city’s groundwater system,” she explains. A graduate of GeorgiaInstitute of Technology in Atlanta with a degree in civil engineering,Brown has been employed with Malcolm Pirnie, a centu ry-oldenvironmental consulting firm, for seven years. As a project manager,her team has won major awards, including one from the New YorkAssociation of Civil Engineers.

INTEGRATED CAPITAL L.L.C.Why he’s hot: Kenneth Fearn ismaking his mark on the real estatefront by raising capital from insti-tutions and individual investors toacquire hotels. In 2004, his firm, Inte-grated Capital L.L.C., purchased twoCalifornia Doubletree Hotels for acombined price of $40 million. LosAngeles-based Integrated Capitalexpanded its reach in 2005 by buy-ing a third hotel, a Marriott Resi-dence Inn in Columbia, Maryland,for an undisclosed amount. The Dou-bletree hotels have 520 guestroomsin total and the Marriott ResidenceInn Hotels have 238 guestrooms.Fearn says Integrated has purchased$100 million in assets since its incep-tion and is in the process of raising$200 million in equity commitments.Prior to founding Integrated Capital,Fearn was a managing director andCFO at Maritz, Wolff and Co., a privateequity real estate firm.

VH1 AND CMT COUNTRY MUSIC TVWhy he’s hot: Millions of peopleview Richard Gay’s work daily. He’sthe business strategist behind VH1and CMT: Country Music Television,reaching 86 million and 77 millionviewers, respectively. He also over-sees VH1 Classic, VH1 Soul, and V H U n odigital channels. “I deal with bud-gets, long-range planning initiativesand opportunities, as well as day-to-day operations,” says Gay, a formerpartner at the consulting firm BoozAllen Hamilton. He recently orches-trated a deal with Wal-Mart to mar-ket and promote country musicsinger Toby Keith and brokered across-promotion arrangementbetween VH1 and Starbucks, whichowns a nascent record label.

FUQUA FILMSWhy he’s hot: One of the fewAfr ican Ame ricans to direct amotion picture with a $100 millionbudget, the Training Day film direc-tor is setting up his Fuqua Filmsbanner at 20th Century Fox. Thestudio, which pursues few exclu-sive pacts with directors, has givenhim an exclusive one-year pro-duction deal and a one-year optionto renew. He sealed the deal withhis solid contributions to the dramapilot Murder Book for Fox Broad-casting and the reputation he builtover the last several years as direc-tor of The Replacement Killers, star-ring Chow Yun Fat; Tears of the Sunwith Bruce Willis; and the JerryB ruckhe imer-produced K i n gA r t h u r. Next up: the action-packedthriller By Any Means Necessary.

Why he’s hot: Renaissance men are getting younger and younger. Take NickCannon, for instance. He has six film projects in the works; a production and

film company called Mr. Renaissance Entertainment, a new show on MTV,Nick Cannon Presents, Wild ’N Out; and he recently released “Can I Live?” a

controversial single about abortion that appears on his new CD. But Cannon’s not new to the small screen—or the big one for that

matter. He’s spent his entire adult life entertaining. He set out forHollywood at 16 and landed standup gigs at famed comedy clubsthe Improv, the Laugh Factory, and the Comedy Store. He becamea regular on the Nickelodeon cable television channel, hosting,co-hosting, and guest starring in a number of shows. He hit the

big time in 2002 with the starring role in the movie D r u m l i n e, inwhich he plays a gifted but rebellious drummer from Harlem.Cannon’s last three films—Love Don't Cost a Thing, Shall We Dance, and

U n d e r c l a s s m a n—grossed more than $100 million. And he not only starred inUnderclassman, he also wrote and executive produced it.

Cannon recently turned his attention to creating big-screen opportunities forother African American actors and actresses, and is currently executiveproducing two other films.

+Nick Cannon

Founder & Managing P a r t n e r

AGE: 39

KENNETH H. FEARN JR.

Film Director,P r o d u c e r

AGE: 39

ANTOINE F U Q U A

Senior VP, Strategy & Business Operations

AGE: 37

RICHARD C. G A Y

NATIONAL NUCLEAR SECURITYADMINISTRATION

Why she’s hot: Brought to ourattention by the National Society ofBlack Engineers, Njema Fraziermanages the code and modeldevelopment for nuclear weaponssimulations. Serving as a federalmanager within the Office ofAdvanced Simulation and Com-puting, she has purview over theIntegrated Codes and Physics andEngineering Models program. Sheoversees a budget of $200 millionand ranks among senior-levelmanagement reporting quarterlyto the deputy administrator fordefense programs in NNSA. What’snext? Plenty, but it’s top-secret,for now.

P h y s i c i s tAGE: 35

NJEMA F R A Z I E R

Actor &P r o d u c e r

AGE: 2 5

+N i cole E. Brow nP r o j e c t

E n g i n e e rAGE: 2 8

SONY URBAN MUSICWhy she’s hot: Lisa Ellis, general manager and acting president ofSony Urban Music, is on a short list of black executives at majorlabels. Ellis oversees the division’s day-to-day operations in arole that encompasses A&R, publ ic i ty, marketi ng,promotion, and online content. She also works with thecompany’s U.S. labels on matters relating to urbanmusic. Sony BMG Music Entertainment, with close to$4 bil lion in annual revenu es, i s the No. 2recording company in the world.

Ellis previously served as vice president ofstrategic marketing and music licensing at SonyMusic, where she created licensing campaigns forvarious artists, including Destiny’s Child. Now one ofthe most powerful African American women in theindustry, Ellis joined the Columbia Records family in1995 as a local promotion manager after bolstering hercareer in the marketing departments of Pepsi-Cola, CBSRadio, and Reebok International.

Entrenched in the business for a solid decade now,Ellis has been credited with turning the once-unknown Fugees and R&B singer Maxwell intohousehold names. More recently, the power brokerhas put her stamp on rising stars like neo-soul singerJohn Legend and R&B artist Amerie. Ellis notes thatfinding quali ty artists who can sing, write, andperform live is a constant challenge. “It is easy to findsingers,” she says. “It is harder to find stars.”

+Lisa Ellis General Manager,Acting President

AGE: 35

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UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIAWhy he’s hot: Age is no indicator of experience or performance. The14-year career and track record of UGA director of athletics DamonEvans can attest to that. The youngest athletics director in theSoutheastern Conference, Evans was responsible for securing $81million in tax-exempt financing for the construction of UGA athleticfacilities. He also grew UGA’s athletic association reserve fund from$1 million to $9.5 million over a five-year period—the largest jumpin the history of the organization.

Evans became the director of athletics at UGA, a Division 1-A school,in the summer of last year. Prior to that, he served for four years assenior associate athletics director. He oversees a $60 million capital

campaign—the largest in athletic association history—andnegotiated a deal to outsource the marketing rights of UGA’slicensed apparel to multimedia sports marketing companyInternational Sports Properties. That deal guarantees UGA $14million over the next five years.

Evans is always thinking of ways to increase UGA’s brandawareness: “In order to run a successful business, it is importantto have a well-established brand identity. The success of ourorganization will depend upon having the right people in theright positions and empowering them to do their jobs.”


DAIMLERCHRYSLER CORP.Why he’s hot: Ralph Gilles is the hotshot who spearheaded the well-executed design of the Chrysler 300, clearly the most influential Americancar today. The alluring sedan propelled auto sales to record heights andcaptured more than 30 awards. In July, Gilles was made the director ofinterior and exterior product design for DaimlerChrysler’s truck studio.Rolling out in 2006 are sleeker versions of the Dodge Ram 1500, JeepGrand Cherokee, and Dodge Magnum. Gilles is now in the driver’s seat ofthe next generation of minivans, a market segment Dodge leads with a20% share in the U.S.

GOLDMAN SACHSWhy he’s hot: Gregg Gonsalves, who appeared on our 2003 Hot List, knowsthe art of the deal extremely well. In 2004, his prowess earned him a promotionto partner of the Wall Street powerhouse Goldman Sachs. He continues to struc-ture billion-dollar transactions in his arena of choice: the aerospace, defense,and chemical sectors. Holding a degree in mechanical engineering fromColumbia University’s School of Engineering and Applied Science and an M.B.A.from Harvard Business School, Gonsalves has been involved in mergers andacquisitions activity related to some of the largest companies, in industries rang-ing from automobile manufacturing to paper and forest products.

+Damon Eva n s Director of A t h l e t i c s

AGE: 3 6

RALPH V. G I L L E S

Product Design Director, Truck Studio

AGE: 35

GREGG A. G O N S A L V E S

Partner & Managing Director Industrial & Natural Resources Group

AGE: 37



Why he’s hot: F. Gary Gray is oneof the few African American direc-tors whom studios call on to helmbig-budget action fi lms. Eventhough his latest movie, Be Cool,the Get Shorty sequel, opened ear-lier this year to lackluster reviews,it grossed a respectable $55.6 mil-lion at the box office and gener-a ted impressive DVD sales. Grayhas no formal training in film, yetthe former video auteur has madea string of hits over the last decade:F r i d a y, Set It Off; The Negotiator; AMan Apart, and The Italian Job—the 2003 film that earned him aspot among Hollywood’s elite afterit grossed $105 million in box officereceipts. His next assignment willbe shooting the sequel, The Brazil -ian Job.

DEPT. OF BRAIN & COGNITIVE SCIENCE AND THE PICOWERINSTITUTE FOR LEARNING AND MEMORY

Why he’s hot: Corey Harwell is conducting groundbreaking researchthat characterizes the function of a gene, cpg15 (Candidate PlasticityGene), which can be used to support stem cell survival, “Our hope isthat in the future, cpg15 could be used as a potential therapeutictarget... to treat many diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s,” saysHarwell. Through his research, published in N a t u r e N u e r o s c i e n c e a n dthe Journal of Nuerouerobiology, Harwell conducts basic scienceresearch, so all of the lab work has been done on animal models. “Butthe hope with all basic research is that the principals that we learn...can be applied to humans;” he says.

ARIEL CAPITAL MANAGEMENT L.L.C.Why she’s hot: Mellody Hobson manages the day-to-day operations ofthe largest black-owned mutual fund company in the country. No. 1 on theB E ASSET MANAGERS list, Ariel has more than $20 billion in assets under man-agement. Hobson is in the process of turning company employees intospecialists. “We’ve spent a lot of time making individuals in the firmmore and more focused on specific responsibilities,” she says. And Hob-son is positioning the 23-year-old company for the future: “I’ve beendoing a big project on how our company is structured and making surethat we’re well-positioned for the next 30 or 40 years, making sure wecan get through all kinds of business and economic cycles.”

Why he’s hot: Well into his fifth term in office, Ford continues to gain politicalmomentum. Last year, he was appointed by the Joint Forces Command to

serve on the Transformation Advisory Group. He also sits on the powerfulHouse Budget Committee and House Committee on Financial Services.Today, after nearly 10 years in the House, Ford has decided to run for theU.S. Senate seat of outgoing Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist in 2006.

Why vacate a safe seat in the House for an uphill battle in theSenate? Ford has explained to his constituents that the biggest issuesfacing the country over the next decade or so will be answered in theU.S. Senate. Win or lose in the upcoming senatorial race, Ford will

always be a role model for today’s young Americans, having been theyoungest person ever elected to Congress. The eldest son of former U.S.

Rep. Harold E. Ford Sr., also from Tennessee, Ford Jr. earned hisbachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1992

and his law degree from the University of MichiganLaw School in 1996, the year he was first

sworn to represent the Ninth District ofTennessee. He was 26.

BETH ISRAEL MEDICAL CENTER, NYWhy he’s hot: Kevin Holcomb isone of about 12 black male physi-cians in the country dedicated togynecologic oncology medicine.His special interest is the laparo-scopic management of GYN malig-nancies, and he’s among the firstphysicians in his field trained inthe use of robotic surgery. Hol-comb performs about 200 surg-eries a year in addition to beingan assistant clinical professor inob stetr ics and gynecology atColumbia University College ofPhysicians and Surgeons. He’salso very involved in physicianawareness and community o u t-reach programs, particularly asthey relate to educating womenin the Harlem community aboutthe benefits of cancer screeningand early detection.


Film Director, P r o d u c e r

AGE: 3 6

F. GARY G R A Y

WARNER BROS.Why he’s hot: Jason Hall is the wiz-ard behind movie-based videogames like the Matrix Online andHarry Potter. A hot commodity inthe gaming industry, he was tappedby Warner Bros. execs in 2004 tolead the company’s interactiveentertainment group. Hall is man-aging more than 150 developersand heading up more than 20 pro-jects, including the Friends 10thAnniversary Trivia Game and a videogame inspired by Dirty Harry. Agamer and a technology buff him-self, Hall started Monolith Produc-tions at the age of 24. His company,which became wildly successfulafter it worked on a video game forAlien vs. Predator 2, was acquiredlast year by Warner Bros.

Senior VP/Interactive Entertainment Whiz Kid

AGE: 3 4

JASON H A L L

Director of Gynecologic O n c o l o g y

AGE: 3 8

DR. KEVIN H O L C O M B

+H a rold Fo rd, Jr. U.S. Representative (D-Tenn.), Candidate for U.S. Senate

AGE: 35

COREY H A R W E L L

Neuroscience PH.D. Student,M I T

AGE: 27

MELLODY H O B S O N

P r e s i d e n tAGE: 3 6


Why she’s hot: Even before she inspired Tommy Hilfiger’s fragrance line, True Star, BeyoncéKnowles was well on her way to becoming one. The former frontwoman of R&B groupDestiny’s Child went solo in 2003, and her debut CD, Dangerously in Love,sold 1.4 million copies, and won five Grammy awards.

A budding actress, Knowles played the title role in thetelevision production Carmen: A Hip-Hopera.She made her silver-screen debut asFoxxy Cleopatra in Austin Pow -ers: Goldmember and had astarring role in The Fight -ing Temptations. Nextyear, she will appear inThe Pink Panther, co-star-ring Steve Martin, and s h erecently inked a multimil-lion-dollar deal to play thecoveted role of one of the titlecharacters in D r e a m g i r l s, the movieadapted from the hit Broadway play.

Knowles has millions in endorsementdeals, including a five-year, $4.7 million con-tract with L’Oreal and a $3 million contract with Hil-figer’s Star fragrance line.

And did we mention she had style to spare? Knowles and hermother, Tina, collaborated to develop a women’s clothing line called TheHouse of Dereon, named after Knowles’ grandmother. The line consists of urbanand couture styles that retail for between $100 and $300. Earlier this year, Knowlesand her mother signed a licensing agreement with G-III Apparel Group Ltd. to distributeThe House of Dereon fashions.


C O V ER S TO R Y TH E H O T L IS T

Why he’s hot: Phil Ivey hascaptured the country’s attentionwith extraordinary wins at somehigh-stakes tables. This year, Iveywon his fifth career bracelet atthe World Ser ies of Pokertournament in Las Vegas, earninga little more than $630,000. Whenhe won his first World Series ofPoker bracelet in 2000 at the ageof 23, he was one of the youngestwinners in the history of thetournament. Two years later, het ied a World Ser ies of Pokerrecord by winning three events ina s ingle year. In a ll , I vey hascashed in at nearly 50tournaments, reached six finalstables, and amassed more than$1.25 million.

G-UNITWhy he’s hot: A seven-figurerecording contract with Eminem in2002 propelled 50 Cent’s career.Today, he is an established hip-hopsuperstar building an empire worthmillions. In 2003, he joined Marc Eckoand launched the G-Unit ClothingCo. It raked in $110 million in retailsales in its inaugural year. He alsoboasts his own line of Reebok sneak-ers, the G-Unit Collection. The fol-lowing year he teamed up withGlacéau, the maker of VitaminWater, to launch a grape-flavoreddrink, Formula 50. He is starring inGet Rich or Die Tryin’ and recentlypublished his autobiography, F r o mPieces to Weight.

Professional Poker Player

AGE: 2 9

PHIL I V E Y

R a p p e r ,E n t r e p r e n e u r

AGE: 3 0

CURTIS “50 CENT” J A C K S O N

+B eyoncé Know l e s Singer, A c t r e s s

AGE: 24



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WARNER MUSIC GROUPWhy he’s hot: Liles is consideredthe highest-ranking African Amer-ican in the music world. He is onthe executive team at WarnerMusic Group (a $3.29 billion giant)and owns a percentage of thecompany. He presides over a col-lection of the world’s best-knownrecord labels, including Atlanticand Warner Bros., as well as thegroup’s distribution, marketing,and music publishing companies.Liles’ path to the top of the indus-try started in 1991 when he accept-ed an unpaid internship at Def JamRecordings. In 1994, he replacedhis boss as mid-Atlantic manag-er, and that same year he becamegeneral manager of promotionsfor the West Coast. In 1996, he waspromoted to general manager andvice president of promotions. Hebecame Def Jam Music Group's firstpresident in 1998 at the age of 30and helped increase revenues fromless than $100 million to more than$400 million. In 2002, he becamethe executive vice president ofIsland Def Jam Music Group. “Wec an no lon ger just have bigdreams, we have to work hard andhave big dreams. I was able to gofrom intern to president in sevenyears of my career because I sim-ply worked harder than anybodyelse and I truly believe in that the-ory.” Liles recently published abook with Samantha Marshallcalled Make it Happen: The Hip HopGeneration Guide to Success ( A t r i aBooks; $24).

+Kevin Liles Executive VPAGE: 37

MOUNT VERNON ORTHOPEDICSAND SPORTS MEDICINE

Why he’s hot: With arthroscopicsurgery for the elbow, knee, andshoulder as his specialty, David C.Johnson has used his services tomaintain the A-game of a numberof professional athletes. The LongIsland, New York, native practiceshis craft at Mount Vernon Orthope-dics and Sports Medicine in Alexan-dria, Virginia, one of the top 10 hos-pitals in the nation for orthopediccare. His skills have earned him fel-lowships at the famed SteadmanHawkins Clinic in Vail, Colorado,where many professional athletesundergo treatment. He’s creatinga state-of-the-art facility to bene-fit athletes of every playing level.

Orthopedic S u r g e o n

AGE: 3 6

DR. DAVID C.J O H N S O N

C I P H E R T R U S TWhy he’s hot: You’ve got mail! Butis it secure? Leave it up to PaulJudge to find the answer. Underhis direction, CipherTrust, a $37 mil-lion e-mail security company, is atthe forefront of research and devel-opment. “E-mail has become themost critical form of communica-tion,” says Judge. “So, prot e c t i n gthose systems is a top prio r i t y . ”Judge joined CipherTrust in 2000,its inaugural year, bringing withhim experience from IBM andNASA. Named to MIT’s list of top100 innovators in the world, heholds 11 patents on technologies incomputer security. He has a Ph.D.and M.S. in network security fromGeorgia Tech and a B.S. from More-house College.

Chief Technology O f f i c e r

AGE: 27

P A U LJUDGE, PH.D.

WILLIAM MORRIS AGENCY L.L.C.Why he’s hot: One of the few seniorexecutives of color at a top talentagency, Charles King cuts deals forrising stars and megastars alike. As avice president in the motion picturedepartment, King was instrumentalin bringing actor, playwright, andproducer Tyler Perry from the stageto the big screen by packaging thefeature film Diary of a Mad BlackW o m a n. The film grossed more than$50 million at the box office and soldmore than 4 million DVDs. King’s clientroster includes a number of youngfilmmakers, musicians, and actors,including Tim Story (B a r b e r s h o p, F a n -tastic Four); director Craig Brewer,whose feature film debut, Hustle andF l o w, won the 2005 Audience Awardat Sundance; Outkast’s Andre Ben-jamin; and actor Michael E a l y .

Vice President, A g e n t

AGE: 3 8

CHARLES K I N G


THE PEPSI BOTTLING GROUP INC.Why he’s hot: As vice president ofretail sales for the largest of sevensectors within Pepsi Bottling Group,Derek L ewis is no stranger toattaining success. Lewis joined theNo.1 manufacturer, distributor, andseller of Pepsi-Cola beverages in1988 as a campus hire, and todaymanages one of the largest unitswithin PBG in terms of volumessold and revenue. The unit gener-ates more than $ 1 bi llion ina n n ual sales. Lewis’ daily tasksinvolve broadening strategies tohelp the group achieve volu m e ,revenue, and margin objectives.His overall responsibility is to setthe functional agenda for the unit’sentire retail sales organization.

Vice President of Retail Sales,Great West Business Unit

AGE: 3 8

DEREK R.L E W I S

DECEMBER 2005 : BLACK ENTERPRISE : WWW.BLACKENTERPRISE.COM : PHOTOGRAPH BY WILLIAM BRYANT ROZIER120


IINTERNATIONAL TRUCK AND ENGINE CORP.Why he’s hot: Elliott Lyons is in the business of severe service trucks. What’s a severe service truck, you ask?“They’re heavy-duty trucks like the dump trucks and water tankers sent to New Orleans to help in thehurricane recovery cleanup,” Lyons explains. A director at International Truck and Engine Corp., Lyons says hisrole is to “develop creative solutions to solve any kind of problem.” And he and his team have been building along list of happy clients. Over the last three years, company revenues have increased by 225%—from $550million to $1.4 billion. He’s especially proud of one of his latest inventions—the CXT monster pickup truck withthe tagline: The ultimate truck for extreme work and extreme play. The seven-ton, 21-foot-long consumervehicle sits on wheels almost three feet high and sells for $120,000 to $150,000. Lyons says his success “hingeson showing the company that I can add value and deliver better than anybody.” His formula for success beginswith valuing and empowering his team. “I give them the latitude to do what they do best and come to mewhen they need my assistance,” says Lyons. “I have become a very good listener, and I challenge the statusquo. I truly believe that if you do these things, you'll be successful.”

PHAROS CAPITAL; CONVERGE GLOBAL TRADING

Why he’s hot: Dale LeFebvre isnot just CEO of one BE 100S c o m-pany. He’s driving the strategy fortwo mammoth entities. As man-aging partner/CEO of Pharos Cap-ital Group (No. 2 on the B EP R I V A T E

E Q U I T Y list), he oversees threefunds worth over $450 million. He’salso chairman and CEO of ConvergeGlobal Trading (No. 7 on the B E

INDUSTRIAL/SERVICE 100 list with$390 million in revenues), one ofthe largest distributors of semi-conductors and computer prod-ucts. LeFebvre began his career asa researcher at Bell Laboratoriesand has held posit ions in themergers and acquisition and pri-vate equity groups for MorganStanley, Blue Capital, and F irstUnion Private Equity Group.

CNNWhy she’s hot: Suzanne Malveaux has been giving cable junkies the lowdown on President George W. Bushsince 2002. She recently traveled with him to Belgium, Germany, and Slovakia and is a regular in Crawford,Texas, home to the president’s ranch. “It’s just three turns and 30 minutes between my hotel in Waco and theCrawford elementary school, where I file my reports on President Bush’s whereabouts,” she said. An EmmyAward winning journalist, Malveaux made a name for herself as a general assignment correspondent for NBC inChicago and Washington, D.C. She covered President Bill Clinton’s impeachment, the 2000 presidential election,and the Elian Gonzalez custody battle.

CEO , CEO & ChairmanAGE: 3 4

D A L EL E F E B V R E+Elliott J. Lyo n s Director, Severe Service Product

Center & Global Defense and ExportAGE: 39

SUZANNE M A L V E A U X

White House Correspondent

AGE: 39


NASA LANGLEY RESEARCH CENTERWhy she’s hot: At 12, Anna-MariaMc Gowan was intrigued withairplanes. Today, the aerospacee nginee r design s an d tes tscutting-edge technologies foraircrafts. McGowan, a projectma nager in the aeronauticsprogram at NASA Lan gleyResearch Center in Hampton,Virginia, directs a $10 million-plusproject, part of NASA’s strategyfor the future of flight. She workswith diverse groups, includingthe Department of Defense andma jor univ ers i t ies. Her teamworks on futuristic technologies,like wings that change shape oncommand, and is a leader onsmart, biometric applications foraerospace vehicles. “It’s not a farstretch to say we’re working onBuck- Rogers-like technologies.”

Aerospace E n g i n e e r

AGE: 3 6

ANNA-MARIA M C G O W A N



PARISH CAPITALWhy they’re hot: In just two years,James Mason and Wendell McCainhave raised $420 million and closedthe first private equity fund atParish Capital, their Durham, NorthCarolina-based firm. “Our partnersare a combination of endowments,pension funds, institutions, and asuper high net worth family office,”says Mason. The largest portion ofParish Capital’s portfolio representsinvestments in other private equi-ty and venture capital funds suchas Ascend Ventures, which hasabout $120 million in capital undermanagement. About 15% of Parish’sinvestments are made directly tocompanies around the world. Thedynamic duo is currently seekingopportunities in Europe.

Why he’s hot: After years of peddling The Boondocks to network executives, Aaron McGruder is finally thetop dog of an animated television series. The syndicated comic strip, which appears in more than 300 news-papers, made its television debut in November on Cartoon Network’s late-night Adult Swim. The network hascommissioned 15 episodes, with McGruder serving as executive producer. He calls the shots in terms of writ-ers, artists, and actors. The series features a celebrity cast, including Regina King and John Witherspoon. RebelBase and Hudlin Entertainment are producing the show in association with Sony Pictures Television.

Managing P a r t n e r s

AGE: 3 6 & 35

JAMES MASON &WENDELL MCCAIN

HBO FILMSWhy she’s hot: Sam Martin oversees the development and production of original movies. Provocative filmsare the hallmark of HBO’s movie division and run the gamut from small independents to big theatricalevents. Martin was responsible for bringing Lackawanna Blues to HBO Films, in addition to securing the scriptand overseeing the production of Sometimes in April, the film about the 1994 Rwanda genocide. She workedon Empire Falls, helping Richard Russo adapt his Pulitzer Prize winning novel, which garnered 10 Emmynominations, including outstanding miniseries. Martin joined HBO Films as director in 2000 and spearheadedB o y c o t t and the Golden Globe nominated Iron-Jawed Angels. She also collaborated on John Leguizamo’sdirectorial debut U n d e f e a t e d.

+A a ron McGruder Comic Strip Creator AGE: 3 1

SAM M A R T I N

Vice P r e s i d e n t

AGE: 37




CREATIVE ARTISTS AGENCYWhy she’s hot: Andrea NelsonMeigs worked her way up to talentagent extraordinaire from m a i l r o o mclerk, and she had a law degreefrom Duke University School of Lawwhen she got the job. So why didshe start in the mailroom? BecauseNelson Meigs was smart enoughto know she had to get her foot inthe door any way she could. Today,the power player has a roster ofA-list clients, including Jamie Foxx;Jon Voight; and Overbrook Enter-tainment, Will Smith’s productioncompany. A returnee to our HotList, she was instrumental in help-ing Beyoncé Knowles grab one ofthe title roles in the upcomingmovie adaptation of the hit Broad-way play D r e a m g i r l s.

BLACK ENTERTAINMENT TELEVISION

Why he’s hot:Scott Mills is not justa numbers man. “Scott serves asthe voice of reason, and the arbiterof fiscal responsibility and overallbusiness development across ourBET brands,” says BET President andCEO Debra Lee. In addition to man-aging the finances, Mills is alsodirectly responsible for expandingthe BET platform. In 2005, Mills struc-tured a multimillion-dollar sale ofBET’s book publishing business toHarlequin Enterprises Ltd. He struc-tured the deal that allows BET tosell DVDs with exclusive BET pro-gramming from its award-winningshows, video shows, and other pro-gramming at Wal-Mart. And he’scurrently working on a deal thatwill provide BET content through awireless carrier the companydoesn’t yet want to disclose. Prior totaking his current position, Mills waschief operating officer of BET Inter-active, and before that senior vicepresident of business developmentfor BET Holdings.

AMERICAN MORNING, CNNWhy she’s hot: As co-host of CNN’s American Morning n e w sprogram, roughly a half million people depend on Soledad O’Brienevery morning to inform them about what’s going on in the world.

From a live remote, O’Brien came into viewers’ homes withreports on the 2005 London terrorist attacks and thedevastation of last year’s tsunami. And she asked toughquestions of FEMA officials regarding the slow reaction toHurricane Katrina in the Gulf region. A 16-year veteran,

O’Brien has held positions as producer and writer for anumber of local television stations and, at one point,

co-hosted The Discovery Channel’s The Know Zone,for which she won an Emmy in 1995. O’Brien

started gaining greater visibilitywhen she joined NBC’sWeekend Today after a

stint hosting MSNBC’stechnology program

The Site.

Executive Vice President& CFO

AGE: 37

SCOTT M I L L S

Motion Picture Talent Agent

AGE: 37

ANDREA NELSON MEIGS

+Soledad O’Brien Anchor, ReporterAGE: 39

HBO ENTERTAINMENTWhy she’s hot: Jada Miranda is among a handful of high-ranking blacktelevision executives. Over her two-year tenure, Miranda has been involvedin the creative and production sides of various programs, including the highlyacclaimed hit comedy series E n t o u r a g e, as well as Curb Your Enthusiasm a n dThe Comeback. On a daily basis, she manages a well-orchestrated balancingact by working closely with writers, fielding scores of show pitches, andoverseeing over 50 scripts in development. “The fact that good shows comeout of a process that is so lightening fast [and] has so much pressure toperform … is a testament to the people working here,” she says.

JADA M I R A N D A

Vice President, Comedy Programming

AGE: 2 8


TRANSLATION CONSULTING AND BRAND IMAGINGWhy he’s hot: Stephen Stoute understands the value of the celebritysell. The former record executive has connected Beyoncé with TommyHilfiger, Jay-Z with Reebok, and Gwen Stefani with Hewlett-Packard.Moves such as these have put Stoute at the forefront of a new fieldcalled entertainment marketing.

For Reebok, the celebrity sell was a good fit. The athletic shoemanufacturer launched the S. Carter Collection by Rbk in April 2003. Theglobal introduction of the collection was met with strong consumerdemand and became the fastest-selling shoe in Reebok’s history. Suchsuccesses have made Stoute’s company, Translation Consulting andBrand Imaging, one of the hottest firms to hit Madison Avenue.

In the late 1990s, Stoute partnered with advertising exec Peter Arnellto launch marketing agency PASS, with a c lient roster includingDaimlerChrysler, Reebok, Jose Cuervo, and McDonalds. When theventure was sold, Stoute got the idea for Translation: “How couldFortune 500 companies communicate with consumers in an authenticmanner that didn't rely on formatted media? That was the premise.”

Hooking celebrities up with corporate giants takes more than ahot Rolodex. It requires an understanding of themarket as well as excellent timing, instincts, andexecution—and Stoute has proven he's got whatit takes.

Among Stoute’s other accomplishments:assembling an all-star group that included Will

Smith, Jada Pinkett Smith, and Jay-Z to invest acollective $10 million in Carol’s Daughter, a Brooklyn-

based beauty, health, and haircare business. Stoute remains a partnerin that business.

+Stephen Sto u te Founder, CEOAGE: 3 6

CHOICE HOTELS INTERNATIONALWhy he’s hot: Brian Parker is theyoungest and the first and onlyAfrican American vice president atChoice Hotels International. In justtwo years, he has grown the num-ber of African American and His-panic-owned Choice hotel ownersfrom one to 30. “African Americansspend $40 billion annually in thelodging industry but owned lessthan 1% of the hotels,” says Parkerabout the landscape of minority-owned hotels befor e he gotinvolved. And before Pa rkerbecame a force in minority busi-ness development, he created andran the sports marketing divisionfor Choice hotels, which currentlygenerates more than $20 milliona n n u a l l y .

FANNIE MAEWhy he’s hot: Donald Remy, a NewOrleans native, was assigned thetask of coordinating Fannie Mae’sresponse to the recent Gulf Coastdisaster. While working with thecompany’s Housing and Commu-nity Development Division, “wedeveloped a strategy to distributeretail-owned foreclosed proper-ties through HUD and FEMA.” In2002, Remy was appointed the firstchief compliance officer. He hasalso served as a Pentagon lawyerand a captain in the U.S. Army,holding various positions, includingspecial assistant to the deputyundersecretary of defense.

VP, Emerging Markets & New Business Development

AGE: 3 0

BRIAN P A R K E R

Senior VP & Deputy General Counsel

AGE: 3 8

DONALD M.R E M Y

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Why he’s hot: Tyler Perry has made more than $75 million staging andproducing plays. This year’s screen adaptation of Diary of a Mad BlackW o m a n, one of his earlier pieces, grossed $50 million at the U.S. boxoffice. The film cost just $5 million to make, half of which was providedby Perry. A second film adaptat ion, Madea’s Family Reunion, isscheduled for release next year.

Perry has moved beyond the genre of low-budget, gospel-heavymelodramas, often dismissed as the “Chitlin’ Circuit.” But his journey tosuccess has been thorny. He wrote his first play, I Know I’ve BeenC h a n g e d, from letters he wrote to himself about being a survivor ofchild abuse. Early stagings of the show failed repeatedly, and Perryended up homeless. Then his fortunes changed. Perry went on tocreate new musical comedies as well as adapt and direct two playsbased on Bishop T.D. Jakes’ novels Woman, Thou Art Loosed a n dBehind Closed Doors.

Today, hundreds of thousands of fans, mostly African American,religiously attend Perry’s plays in major cities nationwide and purchaseDVDs of the performances from his Website. Perry has remained faithfulto his audience, fearing that a more traditional method of staging hisplays would detract from the realness found in urban theatres—towhich his fans would say a resounding “Amen.”


20th CENTURY FOXWhy she’s hot: Vanessa MorrisonMurchison is a woman of cinematicclout. As senior vice president of pro-duction at 20th Century Fox, sheacquires and develops materials—from novels and short stories toscreenplays—and converts them intotheatrical films. In addition to man-aging the creative aspects of devel-opment and production, MorrisonMurchison also hires screenwritersand actors and participates in select-ing directors and producers for herfilm projects.

Specializing in family movies andmainstream comedies, MorrisonMurchison worked on Garfield, Cheap -er by the Dozen, Dr. Doolittle 2, and F a tA l b e r t. She is currently working onthe sequels to G a r f i e l d and C h e a p e rby the Dozen.

GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITYWhy he’s hot: On July 1, 2005,Bernard Muir was named directorof athletics for Georgetown Uni-versity. He oversees the operationsof all intercollegiate and intramuralathletic programs, which includemore than 100 coaches and staffwho support more than 650 stu-dent athletes participating in 27sports. The majority compete inthe Big East conference. Muir is the10th person in the university’s his-tory to serve in this posit ion.According to Muir, “The No. 1 prior-ity is making sure that the studentathletes know that there is some-body who’s here to champion theircause and make sure they havethe best experience possible, bothon and off the playing field.”

GLOBAL SOA, ACCENTUREWhy he’s hot: David Nichols andhis global team of about 350 archi-tects are in very high demand. Withtheir cutting-edge, multitaskingtechnology integration software,they help Accenture’s Fortune 100,Fortune 500, and Fortune 1000clients do business more efficientlyand increase productivity. Nichols’job is twofold. He’s responsible forall aspects of group operations inthe company, including humanresource growth, training and capa-bility development, as well as finan-cial growth. Since Nichols has beenglobal practice lead, revenues forthe business unit have increasedabout 400% in just one year, addingup to hundreds of millions of dollarsfor the company.

FOOT LOCKER INC. USAWhy he’s hot: From negotiatingmedia and marketing partnershipsto developing broadcast and printads, Adrian Parker is charged withdelivering first-rate advertising tosupport Foot Locker Inc. USA, the$5.3 billion retail giant, which encom-passes more than 3,200 Foot Lock-er, Lady Foot Locker, Kids Foot L o c k-er, Champs Sports, and FootactionU S Aretail stores. Recently he formedalliances with entertainment pow-erhouses such as ESPN, MGM Stu-dios, and Universal Music Group tosupport the brand’s urban youthposition. In 2003, the then 22-year-old revitalized Footaction’s in-storetelevision network of some 6 millionviewers by creating T R E N D Z, the firstretail entertainment show.

Senior Vice President, P r o d u c t i o n

AGE: 3 6

VANESSA MORRISON MURCHISON

Executive Partner;Practice Lead

AGE: 3 6

DAVID L. N I C H O L S

Director of AthleticsAGE: 3 6

BERNARD M U I R

Advertising ManagerAGE: 2 6

ADRIAN D. P A R K E R

+Tyler Pe r r y Playwright, Actor,P r o d u c e r

AGE: 3 6



DECEMBER 2005 : BLACK ENTERPRISE : WWW.BLACKENTERPRISE.COM : PHOTOGRAPH BY J. VAN EVERS128

M E T L I F EWhy he’s hot: H. Philip Salmon isthe man behind a legendary merger.This past July, he helped MetLifecomplete its purchase of Traveler’sLife & Annuity from Citigroup. Byleveraging the power of the MetLifebrand, Salmon led his team—for 29days—in raising $7 billion in capitalof the more than $11.8 billion need-ed to finance the transaction It wasthe largest deal in MetLife’s 137-yearhistory as well as one of the biggestacquisitions within the financialindustry for 2005. The transactionsecured MetLife’s position as thelargest life insurance company inthe nation. Day-to-day, Salmon isresponsible for corporate financeand strategic capital planning.

Why she’s hot: To be a successful young actress and singer is not rarethese days. But being the lead character and a producer of a hit show(featuring a predominantly black cast) makes Raven-Symoné, star ofThat’s So Raven, so remarkable.

The children’s program and its star have won a multitude of awards.It has been picked up for a fourth season, making it one of the DisneyChannel’s longest-running shows, and it ranks No. 1 in the basic cableindustry with girls aged 9 to 14.

Raven’s popularity has made her a marketable commodity. Depart-ment stores can’t keep R a v e n-branded clothes, sheets, lunchboxes, andother items on their shelves. Last year’s R a v e n-themed video gamesold a quarter of a million units. Toy stores have recently begun sellinga R a v e n doll, and a new fragrance and cosmetic collection for girls is avail-able at retail outlets. Disney estimates R a v e n merchandise shouldapproach $400 million in sales by the end of 2006.

The actress has already proved she has staying power; she’s grown upon television since joining The Cosby Show at the age of 3. Plus, she’salready released two albums. What’s next? Though Raven can’t see intothe future like the character she plays on TV, that isn’t stopping herfrom predicting more success.

Vice President, Corporate Treasurer

AGE: 39

H. PHILIP S A L M O N

+R ave n - Symoné Actor, Singer,P r o d u c e r

AGE: 2 0

BLACK ENTERPRISE/GREENWICHSTREET CORPORATE PARTNERS

Why he’s hot: Jeffrey Scott contin-ues to help achieve the mission ofBlack Enterprise/Greenwich StreetCorporate Growth Partners: tofinance the growth of establishedminority-owned or managed com-panies. As managing director, Scott’sresponsibilities include the origina-tion, organization, implementation,and monitoring of investments suchas Tama Broadcasting and thenational Hispanic media company,DMG Media. The firm oversees eightportfolio companies and ranks No. 9on the B E PRIVATE EQUITY FIRMS l i s twith $91 million in assets under man-agement. “We offer useful informa-tion to those within the minorityspace,” says Scott. “My ultimateresponsibility is to help the bestbecome even better.”

Managing D i r e c t o r

AGE: 35

JEFFREY S C O T T

NASA’S GODDARD SPACE FLIGHT CENTER

Why he’s hot: As a researchmeteorologist, he serves as deputyproject scientist for the $1 billionGlobal Precipitation Measurementmission, a series of satellites thatmonitor our environment. Forthe past 12 years, Shepherd hasconducted research to help predictweather and climate changes. In2004, the White House honoredhim with the Presidential EarlyCareer Award for Scientists andEngineers, the highest distinctionof its kind in the nation that’sawarded for cutting-edge researchand development. Shepherd is alsoa member of the National ScienceFoundation Advisory Council andthe U.N. World MeteorologicalOrganization Steering Committee.

M e t e o r o l o g i s tAGE: 3 6

J. MARSHALL S H E P H E R D

Why he’s hot: He’s one of thehottest directors in Hollywood.This year, Four Brothers, the a c t i o nadventure flick he d i r e c t e d ,grossed $71 million, and Hustle &F l o w, the indie film he producedand mortgaged his home toprovide $2.8 million in financingfor, grossed $22.1 million and wonhuge cri tical acc laim and tophonors. In fact, when Hustle &F l o w was screened at theprestigious Sundance Film Festi-val, the bidding war betweenstudios for distribution rightsquickly soared to a record-breaking $9 million. He won majoracclaim for his breakout film B o y zN the Hood at the age of 24. After14 years, the director still hasn’tlost his touch.

Executive Producer & Filmmaker

AGE: 3 8

JOHN S I N G L E T O N



STAR TRAK ENTERTAINMENTWhy he’s hot: Pharrell Williams not only produces hot music butorchestrates a multimillion-dollar enterprise. He’s been able to turnhis credentials as producer-extraordinaire into partnerships that reachfar beyond the music industry. He’s launching Ice Cream Skatefootwear, created and launched Billionaire Boys Club Clothing line in2 0 0 4 .

Known for churning out hits with Neptunes’ partner Chad Hugo forthe likes of Jay-Z, Nelly, and Usher, Williams has produced a host ofsongs for music soundtracks for H i t c h, Girl Next Door, and D a r e d e v i l.Right now, he’s in the studio focusing on his wildly anticipated soloalbum, In My Mind, scheduled for a November release.

Widely considered a major influence of what new, innovative musicsounds like, William’s rock credentials were further bolstered by hisappearance at the 2004 Grammy Awards, performing The Beatles ISaw Her Standing There on drums along with Sting, Dave Matthews,and Vince Gill.


OVERBROOK ENTERTAINMENTWhy he’s hot: Smith is one of thehighest paid actors in Hollywood,and made $28 million for I, Robot.His last blockbuster, H i t c h, grossed$360 million at the box office world-wide. As a partner in OverbrookEntertainment, Smith has addedproducer to his list of credits withfilms such as Pursuit of Happynessand Monster Hunter, scheduled forupcoming release. He’s the execu-tive producer and co-creator of theUPN ser ies All of Us and is aninvestor in The Momentum Experi-ence, a theatrical distribution com-pany that launched in July. Smithand his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith,are investors in Carol’s D a u g h t e r ,the 2005 BLACK E N T E R P R I S E E m e r g-ing Company of the Year.

Producer, ActorAGE: 37

WILL S M I T H

E S P NWhy he’s hot: Quite frankly, Smith isone of those guys whom fans andcritics love to hate. He has beenaccused of having more attitude thanopinion. And to put it bluntly, he says,“Those guys are dead wrong. To me,opinion and attitude are the same. Ifyou have an opinion, you’ve got anattitude.” Smith argues that at thevery least, he backs his opinions withfacts. The 10-year veteran has built aname for himself in the broadcastindustry as host of Quite Frankly withStephen A. Smith, a 60-minute dailydose of sports, news, and opinions.Smith has a roster of accomplish-ments that include host of T h eStephen A. Smith Show on ESPNRadio; ana ly st of th e N B AS h o o t a r o u n d pre-game show; N B AN a t i o n; and NBA Fast Break, to namea few. Smith envisions himself as thenext Ed Bradley of the sports jour-nalism world. “I want to expandbeyond sports and do something rel-evant and prevalent in everydaylives,” he says.

N B AA n a l y s tAGE: 3 8

STEPHEN A.S M I T H

ROC-A-FELLA RECORDSWhy he’s hot: After making hitsbehind the scenes for other hip-hopand R&B artists, Kanye West made hisdebut in front of the mic in 2004 withCollege Dropout, which sold nearly 3million copies. At the 2005 GrammyAwards, West received 10 nomina-tions and went home with threeAwards. His follow-up recording, L a t eR e g i s t r a t i o n, which was released latethis summer, has already gone plat-inum. If you think there’s no moreoriginality in hip-hop, you haven’tlistened to West. His use of acceler-ated lyrics from classic rock and R&Bsongs, stringed instruments, and livechoirs is a creative signature of hismusic. And then there are his lyrics.Instead of rhyming about slingin’ andblingin’ on the streets, West rhymesabout the imperfect human condition,the state of nations, the grace of Jesus,and his own struggles and misgivings.Creative and driven, West is not afraidto express his views on anything. Noteven the president.

WILLIAMS & CONNOLLY L.L.P.Why he’s hot: A partner at one ofthe premier litigation firms in thecountry, James Tanner brokers con-tracts and endorsement deals forplayers in the NBA, WNBA, and theNFL. In 2004, Tanner helped nego-tiate more than $150 million in NBAcontracts alone. This one-timesenior adviser in the 1996 Clin-ton/Gore presidential campaignjoined Williams & Connolly in 1997,charged with helping build up thefirm’s sports practice. Through hisefforts, the roster has grown fromseven to more than 30 clients, withTanner representing blue-chip ath-letes such as Tim Duncan of theSan Antonio Spurs, Grant Hill of theOrlan do M agic, a nd MarvinWilliams, the No. 2 pick in the 2005NBA draft who will play for theAtlanta Hawks.

Lawyer, AgentAGE: 3 6

JAMES L.TANNER JR.

Producer, Hip-hop Artist

AGE: 2 8

K A N Y EW E S T

+P h a r rell Wi l l i a m sP r o d u c e r

AGE: 3 2



U.S. AIR FORCE SCHOOL OF ADVANCED AIR AND SPACE STUDIESWhy he’s hot: Maj. William Young Jr. considers war both an art and ascience that anyone can master. “I’ve gotten to where I am primarily dueto hard work. I’m not the most brilliant or the most talented, I just workreally hard…”

A graduate of the prestigious Air Force Academy, Young has gone frombooks to bombs and now books again, developing his training in militarystrategy—the planning, conduct, and execution of warfare. A student atthe most selective Air Force school, the U.S. Air Force School of AdvancedAir and Space Studies, located at Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama, Youngis pursuing his master’s degree in military operations. This handpickedclass of 40 students—a mere 5% of those eligible to apply—learn the skillsand knowledge needed to function as senior military strategists. Prior tohis studies, he worked at the Pentagon and later served in OperationEnduring Freedom, where, as a navigator, he logged more than 72 hours ofcombined flying time with more than 1,000 flyovers within enemy lines asa chief within his Fighter/Bomber Team.

Upon graduation in June 2006, he will work all of his assignments at thethree-star general level, working toward becoming one of the nation’sleading information operations strategists. Well on his way, he is among123 Air Force majors recently selected from nearly 3,100 candidates for earlypromotion to lieutenant colonel.


Why he’s hot: This preacher’s sonwho became a Grammy Award win-ning hip-hop artist and producer iscutting deals. After years of pro-ducing and remixing hits for a vari-ety of artists, Wyclef Jean hasrecently teamed up with cable tele-vision network HBO to produce andstar in a comedy series looselybased on his life. Next year, Jeanwill reunite with The Fugees groupmembers Pras Michel and LaurynHill to release their Reunion Album.The Score, the group’s most suc-cessful recording, sold more than17 million copies worldwide. TheHaitian-born guitarist and activistalso heads Yéle Haiti, a nonpoliticalorganization that provides scholar-ships and humanitarian assistancefor native Haitians. B E

DIMENSIONS INTERNATIONAL INC.Why he’s hot: Since inheriting thecorner office of a $150 million cor-poration from his father in 2003,Russell Wright Jr. has become thefront man for an internationalinformation technology firm with3 0 off ices a round the world.Ranked No. 35 on the 2005 B E

INDUSTRIAL/SERVICE 100 list with$98.6 million in sales, DimensionsInternational marked the largestacquisition in the firm’s history withthe $30 million purchase of SENTELCorp., a former B E 1 0 0S c o m p a n y .In February, the company won an$8.7 million contract from the ArmyTank-Automotive and ArmamentsCommand, and in April, the U.S.Army granted Dimensions a $4.96million contract for RSD work.

Hip-hop Artist/ProducerAGE: 3 3

W Y C L E F

Why he’s hot: He’s seen his shareof bogeys this year , but TigerWoods continues to dazzle theworld since launching his profes-sional career in 1996. His WorldGolf Championship NEC win washis fifth this season and the 45th ofhis career. The winner ’s checkalone was $1.3 million—his largestpayoff so far. In April, Woods’ sud-den-death victory gave CBS its bestMasters ratings in four years. Bythe end of the 2005 PGA season, heclinched the PGA Tour money titlewith a little over $9.9 million.Reportedly, Woods earned $87 mil-lion in income between June 2004and June 2005.

Professional Golf Player

AGE: 3 0

ELDRICK “TIGER” W O O D S

WOMEN’S NATIONAL BASKETBALLPLAYERS ASSOCIATION

Why she’s hot: Pamela Wheeleris in charge and on top of hergame. Wheeler manages the day-to-day operations and coordinatesall business affairs for the WNBPA,which serves as a labor union forthe player s. Wh en she wasappointed in April 1999, her initialcharge was to coordinate negotia-tions between the nascent WNBPAand the struggling WNBA, whichculminated in the first collectivebargaining agreement in women’sprofessional sports in June of thatyear. In 2003, she renegotiated thatcollective agreement to include aprovision for free agency.

Director of OperationsAGE: 3 8

PAMELA M.W H E E L E R

Chairman & CEO

AGE: 3 8

RUSSELL T.WRIGHT JR.+William Young Jr. Military

S t r a t e g i s tAGE: 3 6

—Additional reporting byKenneth Meeks, Tanisha A.

Sykes, Carolyn M. Brown, Sakina P. Spruell &

Tennille M. Robinson Editorial research: Denise

Campbell, Tracy M. Brown, Siobhan Benet & Maya Payne


Documents

Shawn Baldwin: Black Enterprise 40 Under 40 (2005)