Conceptualized in 2004 by an entrepreneur and HBCU alumna, the Coalition grew out of conversations she had with small business owners who graduated from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). They had three distinctive things in common: Fierce tenacity, the ability to advocate effectively for themselves, and unflappable resilience despite barriers.
Officially launched in 2019, the HBCU CEO Coalition is now an organized community of HBCU alumni, corporate executives, nonprofit leaders, and corporations that
value and engage small businesses led by HBCU graduates.