The Executive Leadership Council’s Symposium and Recognition Gala Week Wraps Up with $1M Community Impact Investment

The funds will be used to help address social and political justice and boost wealth creation through entrepreneurism for the Black Community

WASHINGTON, Oct. 6, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — The Executive Leadership Council announced today that it will launch a $1M community impact investment geared towards boosting entrepreneurship and addressing social and economic justice. Recipients include the Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs, Legal Defense Fund, and the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies.

The announcement was made during the organization’s annual recognition gala, a celebration that wraps up ELC Week, an energizing and enriching week of programming geared towards fostering growth and prosperity for the next generation of Black business leaders through programs like its CEO GameChanger Conference and Mid-level Managers Symposium.

This year’s event hosted nearly 4000 guests, including corporate CEOs, executives and up-and-coming business leaders from the largest global corporations at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center Oct. 3 – 6. The closing event featured a star performance from R&B legends Boyz II Men and honored Black leaders in Corporate America including Ariel Investments Co-CEO Mellody Hobson, independent board member and corporate executive Arlene Isaacs-Lowe and Synchrony.

Click to download photos from Imagine Photography.

A focal point of the week for attendees was the The ELC Scholars Annual Honors Symposium which provided a record-breaking $3M in scholarships and brought together 138 collegiates from 67 academic institutions, including 40 historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). During the symposium, scholars had the opportunity to receive professional development and participate in workshops hosted by corporate sponsors including “Executive Presence: Gravitas Like a Boss,” hosted by Bank of America, “Your Network is Your Net Worth – Leveraging Sponsors & Mentors,” hosted by Amazon, and “Navigating The Interview & Cultivating a Confident You,” hosted by Synchrony, among others.

This year’s scholarships were made possible by 3M, ADM, Amazon, Bank of America, Bristol Myers Squibb, Brunswick, Chevron, ExxonMobil, Hewlett-Packard, HSBC, Johnson & Johnson, Lowe’s, Moody’s, Nationwide, Otis, Otsuka, Raytheon, Synchrony, The Coca-Cola Foundation, and UnitedHealth Group.

ABOUT THE ELC:
The Executive Leadership Council opens channels of opportunity for the development of Black executives to positively impact business and our communities. An independent non-profit 501(c)(3) founded in 1986, The ELC is the pre-eminent membership organization committed to increasing the number of global Black executives in C-suites, on corporate boards and in global enterprises. Comprising more than 800 current and former Black CEOs, senior executives and board directors at Fortune 1000 and Global 500 companies and entrepreneurs at top-tier firms, its members work to build an inclusive business leadership pipeline that empowers global Black leaders to make impactful contributions to the marketplace and the global communities they serve. For more information, please visit www.elcinfo.com.

SOURCE The Executive Leadership Council