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BUSINESS briefs

James Wright WI Staff Writer

WILSON JOINS JPMORGAN CHASE BANK IN D.C.

JPMorgan Chase officials announced on Dec. 6 that Alicia Wilson, the vice president for economic development and community partnerships at Johns Hopkins University and Johns Hopkins Health System (JHU), will join the bank as its managing director and head of North America for regional philanthropy in its corporate responsibility division. She will work out of Washington, D.C..

Wilson will oversee the bank’s local philanthropic strategies across more than 40 markets in North America and collaborate with seniors in the corporate responsibility division and others to set up a business footprint in the U.S. and Canada. Her responsibilities include stewarding the $2 billion philanthropic effort as a part of JPMorgan Chase’s broader racial equity commitment.

Wilson will formally join the bank in January. At JHU, Wilson steered the university’s strategy and initiatives as an anchor institution in Baltimore by elevating and expanding its commitment to the city through investments in economic and neighborhood development, healthcare and education.

Before coming to JHU, Wilson served as the senior vice president of impact investments and senior legal counsel for Baltimore’s Port Covington Development team, where she played a role in securing financing for the $5.5 billion project. Plus, she worked as a partner at the law firm of Gordon Feinblatt, serving as the first Black to hold that position.

In 2021, Black Enterprise magazine named Wilson to its 40 Under 40 list for her work to increase economic and social opportunity in Baltimore. Wilson holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and a Juris Doctor from the University of Maryland School of Law.

EX-HOWARD UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR TO LEAD BLACK ENTREPRENEURSHIP CENTER

Dr. Grant Warner, a former Howard University professor, has been tapped to lead the Center for Black Entrepreneurship (CBE) based in Atlanta, Black Enterprise magazine’s website reported on Dec. 9.

The CBE is an initiative developed by Spelman College, Morehouse College and the Black Economic Alliance Foundation with a $10 million grant from the Bank of America. Warner served as the director of innovation as well as a professor at Howard, where he developed the HowUinitiative that is designed to educate people on starting tech companies.

Warner also co-founded the social analytics platform, ConnectYard, and startup consulting firm, XediaLabs.

“I am honored to join the CBE, to build on Spelman’s and Morehouse’s strong legacies of innovation and partner with the Black Economic Alliance to achieve the CBE’s mission,” Warner said in a Spelman release. “I have dedicated my career to identifying and implementing new opportunities for Black entrepreneurs, particularly at HBCUs. I strongly believe in the CBE’s vision of developing commercial pathways for Black entrepreneurs and building an ecosystem of investors and business leaders to support them, and I am excited to help bring the vision to life.”

In addition to working as the executive director of the CBE, he will also become the Bank of America-endowed professor of entrepreneurship.

The CBE will be located at the Arthur M. Blank Innovation Lab at Spelman. Blank, who owns the Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United Major League Soccer franchise, donated $10 million for the space the CBE will occupy.

In addition to Blank’s donation and Bank of America’s initial $10 million gift plus an additional $5 million, Cisco Systems has donated $4 million and Visa has pledged $5 million to the new center.WI @JamesWrightJr10

5 Alicia Wilson will join JPMorgan Chase Bank in D.C. in January. (Courtesy Photo/Facebook)

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