Black businesses leaders in Nevada discuss challenges to entrepreneurial growth

by Kaleb Roedel, NNBW

RENO, Nev. — Jon James, a Reno-based entrepreneur, has heard it on multiple occasions when his digital marketing firm was buttoning up a big deal with a larger company.

“After the due diligence and client testimonials, the final question in the board room was, ‘oh, by the way, there are other partners, right?’” James, managing partner of Ignited Results, said during a videoconference. “And what they mean is, ‘who are the white guys behind you?’”

James was one of the speakers who talked about his evolving experiences as a Black entrepreneur during the Black Business Forum, a virtual event hosted by the UNR Innevation Center on Aug 5.

For James, the national Black Lives Matter movement, rekindled after an unarmed George Floyd was killed by Minneapolis police in May, has revealed that there needs to be more diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

“And it starts at the top, right in the board room,” James said. “We should have at least 50% of boardroom seats occupied by minorities. There are too many C-level positions that are not occupied by people of color.”

In 2018, Black people accounted for only 3.2% of senior leadership roles at large corporations, according to a study by the Center for Talent Innovation. Even more glaring, there are only three Black CEOs in the Fortune 500, according to a recent report by Business Insider.

Read entire article at Northern Nevada Business Weekly: https://www.nnbw.com/news/black-businesses-leaders-in-nevada-discuss-challenges-to-entrepreneurial-growth