Event Recap

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

Unstoppable Together

The ELC was proud to gather our members and member-affiliated companies for the 2022 ELC Recognition Gala. After being a part due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we were delighted to welcome almost 2,000 attendees back to Washington, D.C. Hosted by Kevin Frazier, co-host of Entertainment Tonight, this year’s Gala theme “Unstoppable Together,” spoke to the strength and resilience of our membership and to The ELC’s unwavering resolve to fulfilling our mission as one, united organization – no matter the challenges that stand in our way.

Gala Honorees

Each year, The ELC honors companies and leaders who have exemplified an extraordinary commitment to serving the needs of the Black community, both in and outside of corporate America.

Marvin R. Ellison, Chairman and CEO of Lowe’s Inc. received the 2022 Achievement Award. With more than 2,200 stores and 300,000 associates in the United States and Canada, Ellison has led the Fortune 50 company since 2018. Over the last five years, he has more than doubled online sales and increased share value by nearly 80%, compared with a 34% increase in the S&P 500 index overall. Under his guidance, 55% of its executive leaders and 60% of its board is female or ethnically diverse. Ellison is one of six sitting Black CEOs of a Fortune 500 company, and the only Black executive to have served as CEO of two Fortune 500 companies. We were also celebrated the pioneering success of the nation’s first African American Board Chair at a public food service company, Brenda J. Lauderback, who received the Alvaro L. Martins Heritage Award. Lauderback chairs the board for Denny’s, Inc., one of America’s largest full-service family restaurant chains. Named one of the National Association of Corporate Director’s Top 100 Directors as well as one of Savoy Magazine’s Most Influential Women in Corporate America, she also serves on the boards of Sleep Number and Wolverine Worldwide.

The Corporate Award is given to a corporation that has shown exemplary service by making significant contributions to the advancement of Black corporate executives in areas including pipeline development, board diversity, supplier diversity and philanthropic efforts directed toward the Black community. The ELC extended this honor to Target, accepted by Target Chairman and CEO Brian Cornell. With a workforce of more than 400,000 team members – half are people of color and more than half are women.

Year-over-year, Target continues to meet or exceed its own goals for delivering on its diversity, equity and inclusion through meaningful action.

Finally, The ELC reserves the Global Gamechanger Award for leaders who embody the impact all Black leaders have the opportunity and responsibility to make in communities around the world through political, philanthropic, educational, and economic empowerment. Ambassador Andrew Young, Jr., American politician, diplomat, and activist exceeded these criteria, having spent generations advocating for the betterment of Black Americans across the globe.

The ELC ended the night on a high note, with a performance by 11-time Grammy Award winning artist, Babyface. DJ Jazzy Jeff provided the ambiance for the Gala afterparty.

This year’s Gala would not have been possible without the continued support and generosity of our corporate sponsors. The following companies and individuals were honored throughout the evening:

 Presenting Sponsors: Bank of America, IBM and

UPS.  Entertainment Sponsor: Google  Unleash Your Spirits Sponsor: Beam Suntory  Supporting Sponsors: Nationwide and Raytheon  Contributing Sponsors: General Motors, Meta, Novartis and PwC.

Gala Week Recap

The ELC’s Annual Recognition Gala is not the only action-packed convening the organization hosts in October. During the first week of October, The ELC welcomed more than 3000 Black professionals, more than 90 speakers across three concurrent programs, and hosted over 55 sessions to discuss corporate diversity and the Black talent pipeline ranging from student scholars to mid-level managers to CEOs. Informed by our mission, Gala Week is the culmination of our annual efforts to nurture and amplify Black excellence and leadership in business.

2022 Honors Symposium

ELC Scholars from 41 universities across the nation convened at the Courtyard Marriott in Washington, D.C. for the Annual Honors Symposium to discuss professional development with executives from Bank of America, Moody’s, Nationwide and others. The students participated in workshops on various business topics.

This year, more than 130 scholars were awarded over $1.5M in scholarships from 16 companies. Scholarships were sponsored by the following corporations: Bank of America, Bristol Myers Squibb, Brunswick, Chevron, ExxonMobil, Hewlett-Packard, HSBC, Johnson & Johnson, Linde, Lowe’s, Moody’s, Nationwide, Otsuka, Synchrony, The Coca-Cola Foundation and The Executive Leadership Council. Of the students awarded scholarships, 61% were women, 61% attend HBCUs and 73% are studying STEM or business-related topics.

As part of the Honors Symposium, the scholars attended the networking reception at the National Museum of African American History & Culture (NMAAHC) sponsored by 3M. Students also attended a pinning ceremony and were pinned by ELC members and corporate executives to signify The ELC’s commitment to their development and the Black talent pipeline.

Mid-Level Managers’ Symposium

More than 1100 Black professionals from 170 of the nation’s largest Fortune 500 corporations participated in The ELC’s annual Mid-level Managers’ Symposium at the Marriott Marquis in Washington, D.C. The theme of the two-day program was “Reimagining the Classics.”

This year was the first time The ELC held two MLMS events, virtual and in-person, where mid-level managers were able to participate from wherever they were. Amazon, Cisco, PepsiCo, Marriott, BP, Estee Lauder Companies, and more were among the highest represented organizations both in-person and online.

CEO GameChanger Conference®

Twenty-eight CEOs including the CEO of BlueLinx, Edelman, TIAA, Target, Johnson & Johnson and other select ELC members came together for a day-long, closed-door session to discuss best practices around diversity, equity and inclusion during the 2022 ELC GameChanger Conference® at the Marriott Marquis in Washington, D.C.

ELC member and author, Tara Jaye Frank facilitated the event along with ELC President and CEO Michael C. Hyter. Black Executive CMO Alliance (BECA) Founder Jerri DeVard served as the moderator.

Speakers included: Joaquin Duato, CEO of Johnson & Johnson, Brian Cornell, Board Chair and CEO at Target Corporation, Carla Harris, Senior Client Advisor at Morgan Stanley, Janice Innis-Thompson, SVP of Corporate Litigation and Legal Operations at Nationwide, Lisa Osborne Ross, CEO of Edelman, and Dwight Gibson, President & CEO of BlueLinx Corporation. The keynote fireside address from TIAA CEO & ELC Member Thasunda Brown Duckett focused on her journey to the C-Suite and the “mindset, preparation, partnership and practice” she uses to stay there.

ELC Post-Gala Member Brunch

ELC President and CEO Mike Hyter hosted 70 ELC members at the inaugural ELC Gala Closing Brunch at the Marriott Marquis on Friday morning after the Gala. The brunch brought ELC members together to recap the Gala and to discuss their involvement moving forward.

ELC Founder, Milt Irvin, attended as the group discussed the growth of the organization since its founding 36 years ago.

The 2023 ELC Recognition Gala is scheduled for Thursday, October 5, 2023 at the Gaylord Hotel in National Harbor, Maryland. We are also pleased to announce The Coca-Cola Company and Google will serve as co-lead sponsors of the Gala for the next four years.