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When purpose and mission align amazing things happen. For the founders of the Black Wealth Summit™ (BWS) and Morgan Stanley that alignment has led to the formation of a program created to offer every Black person access to the knowledge that can be used to build wealth for their families and communities. When the virtual events kicks off this Wednesday more than 100 Black wealth leaders will share their expertise with participants who are new, intermediate, seasoned and accredited investors, exemplifying the group’s ethos of being “unapologetically invested in the prosperity of Black people”.
What the BWS founders wanted to do was offer the exposure, learning and encouragement needed to make prosperity accessible to Black people. Morgan Stanley Wealth Management was on a similar journey with the launch of a Racial Equity Investing Tool Kit as part of its Investing with Impact Platform. Their investors now have access to a range of investments and supporting resources to advance the goals of racial equity and social justice. “BWS and Morgan Stanley were aligned in our commitment to closing the racial wealth gap,” said BWS co-founder Alana Robinson. “So much so that Morgan Stanley, became the inaugural sponsor of the BWS. But even more the organization rolled up its sleeves to help shape the participants’ learning experience, sharing vital information that informed the Summit’s methodology and approach.
Morgan Stanley leadership will also be front and center during the event. Andy Saperstein, co-president of Morgan Stanley and head of its Wealth Management division and Mandell Crawley, chief human resources officer will open the event on this Wednesday. Carla Harris, vice chairman and managing director, will close out the event on October 22.
“Morgan Stanley is deeply committed to ensuring that access to wealth services are equitable and accessible for everyone,” said Saperstein. “We are proud be the inaugural sponsor of the Black Wealth Summit and to have worked closely with the founders in shaping the program for this important event.”
BWS’s comprehensive curriculum is targeted to the full spectrum of investors and will highlight a broad range of Black wealth success journeys. There are four areas of focus: Entrepreneurship, Securities (Stocks and Bonds), Real Estate, and Private Equity. In addition to world-class speakers offering real, relatable success stories on wealth accumulation, BWS will offer customized financial coaching sessions, exclusive workshops, an opportunity for connecting to a world-class community of those invested in Black success, and unmatched resources from some of the country’s top financial firms.
Also joining BWS in sponsoring the event are Bank of America, JP Morgan Chase, Charles Schwab, Equifax, and Raymond James. Morgan Stanley along with these financial powerhouses will also make their curated wealth curriculums and financial advisors and managers available within the BWS learning framework.
Other confirmed speakers for this week’s conference include John W. Rogers, Jr. Chairman, Co-CEO & Chief Investment Officer Ariel Investments; Paul Reilly, Chief Executive Officer, Raymond James Financial; Beverly Anderson, President of Global Consumer Solutions at Equifax; David Gardner, Co-Founder and Chief Rule Breaker at The Motley Fool; Kahlil Byrd (KB), Co-Founder and CEO, Invest America; Yolanda Daniel, National Black Bank Foundation; Omar Aguilar, Managing Director and Chief Investment Officer, Charles Schwab.
BWS also hosted a HBCU Business Case Competition open to any Historically Black College and University (HBCU). Student teams may compete for up to $30K in prizes. Finalist presenting during the virtual event will be Prairie View A&M - Owl Teach, Morehouse College – Team Generation(s) and Grambling State University - Team GIFT'D. Winners were judged on the quality of their ideas, inclusive of the written work; viability and scalability of the business; and the marketability of their offerings. The winners will present, and final prizes will be awarded on Thursday, October 21. The competition is sponsored by BWS, Miro Ventures and the Robinson Family Foundation.
Morgan Stanley’s sponsorship comes on the heels of its pledge to sponsor the Barron’s in Education program in which students at 16 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) will gain access to Barron’s digital subscriptions, including Barron’s magazine, as well as numerous experiential learning opportunities. As a part of The Black Wealth Summit, students and faculty of those same HBCUs will receive complimentary virtual access to the Summit. Last year, Morgan Stanley also announced its HBCU Scholars Program ‒ an integrated initiative to strategically engage with and support 60 students with scholarships from Howard University, Morehouse College and Spelman College.
Founded in the midst of 2020’s pandemic and racial reckoning, the non-profit’s namesake, inclusive wealth and financial educational experience will draw nearly 1,500 people to this week’s event. Registration is still open with $249 or $149 pricing for VIP and general admission respectively.
Those participating in the Black Wealth Summit this October will also leave the event with a digital workbook to begin documenting their respective roadmaps tailored to their self-declared wealth journey strategy and potential actions. To secure your place for this unprecedented event visit BWS and register today.
About Black Wealth Summit
BWS is a first-of-its-kind opportunity to develop wealth literacy through access to comprehensive information in four focus areas: Entrepreneurship, Securities: Stocks & Bonds, Real Estate, and Private Equity. We are purveyors of trusted tips, tools, information, and networking to help Black people along their wealth journey. We partner with a cadre of financial powerhouses to make their curated wealth curriculums available within the BWS learning framework. BWS offers an inclusive wealth and financial educational experience, uniquely designed to bring together champions and channels that will foster prosperity for Black lives. Click here to register for the conference and follow BWS on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
Contact:
P. Andrews-Keenan
PKeenan1@comcast.net
312-206-2821