- Ajao, AdeyemiCo-founded Base10 Partners, the first Black-led venture capital firm to manage over $1 billion in assets1981–Present
- Allen, ByronBuilt Allen Media Group from a single bartered celebrity-interview show into a multibillion-dollar media empire spanning broadcast television stations, cable networks, The Weather Channel, and a controlling stake in BuzzFeed, making him one of the wealthiest Black media owners in American history1961-present
- Allen, ElizaOnly woman listed on the founding charter of the first chartered African American-owned bank in the United Statesc. 1840–1910
- Awotona, TopeFounded Calendly, a widely used scheduling software platform1981-
- Baker, Henry E.Compiled the first comprehensive list of African-American patent holders; published The Colored Inventor (1913)1857-1928
- Barden, Don HamiltonFirst African American to own and operate a major urban cable television system, building Barden Cablevision into a Detroit-area system serving 120,000 subscribers before selling it to Comcast for over $100 million; became the first African American to wholly own casino operations in Las Vegas1943-2011
- Beavers, George Allen Jr.Co-founded Golden State Mutual Life Insurance Company; secured the 500 prepaid policy applications required for its incorporation1891–1989
- Berry, SimonFounded one of the first Black-owned transportation businesses in Tulsa, including taxi, bus, and charter aviation services1890-c.1941
- Browne, William WashingtonFounded the Savings Bank of the Grand Fountain, United Order of True Reformers, the first Black-owned bank chartered in the United States, establishing the model Maggie Lena Walker, already profiled in this collection, would later follow in Richmond1849-1897
- Burns, UrsulaBecame, in 2009, the first African American woman to lead a Fortune 500 company (Xerox) and the first woman ever to succeed another woman as a Fortune 500 CEO1958-present
- Campbell, Tunis GulicAuthored the first hotel and restaurant management guide published in the United States; later became a Reconstruction-era Georgia state senator1812-1891
- Chenault, Kenneth IrvineBecame CEO of American Express in 2001, the third African American ever to lead a Fortune 500 company, and led the firm for 17 years including through the September 11 attacks and the 2008 financial crisis1951-present
- Church, Robert Reed Sr.Became the South's first African American millionaire, building a Memphis business empire spanning real estate, saloons, a hotel, and Solvent Savings Bank, the city's first Black-owned bank1839-1912
- Coleman, Warren ClayFounded the Coleman Manufacturing Company, the first Black-owned and operated textile mill in the United States1849-1904
- Cornelius, Donald Cortez “Don”Created, produced, and hosted Soul Train, negotiating unprecedented ownership terms that made him the first Black producer to fully own a nationally syndicated television program, which ran for 35 years (1971-2006) and became the longest-running first-run syndicated show in American television history1936-2012
- Cralle, Alfred L.Mechanical ice cream scoop ('ice cream mold and disher')1866-1920
- Dedner, KevinFounded Hurdle, a mental health startup matching patients with culturally competent therapists1978-
- Dennis, RichelieuFounded Sundial Brands (SheaMoisture) and Essence Ventures1969-
- Dickerson, Earl B.Served as president of Supreme Life Insurance Company, one of the largest Black-owned insurance firms in the nation1891-1986
- Freeway Golf CourseOne of the first African American-owned 18-hole golf courses in the United States, purchased in 1967 by four Black businessmen1967-2015
- Fuller, Samuel B. "S.B."Built Fuller Products Company from a $25 loan into an $18 million cosmetics empire with 5,000 salespeople, becoming the era's most influential mentor to Black entrepreneurs including John H. Johnson and George Ellis Johnson, both already profiled in this collection1905-1988
- Gaston, Arthur George "A.G."Built a $30-40 million Birmingham, Alabama business empire spanning insurance, banking, funeral homes, and real estate, then used it to quietly bankroll the civil rights movement, including bailing Martin Luther King Jr. out of jail during the 1963 Birmingham campaign1892-1996
- Gillespie, Frank L.Founded Liberty Life Insurance Company, the first Black-controlled legal reserve insurance company in the northern United States1876–1925
- Gordy, Berry Jr.Founded Motown Records; pioneered in-house production and quality-control systems for music1929-
- Granville, Onie B.Founded the first Black-owned commercial bank west of Kansas City1916-1998
- Graves, Earl Gilbert Sr.Founded Black Enterprise magazine in 1970, building it into the definitive national publication chronicling Black entrepreneurship, wealth-building, and corporate advancement over five decades1935-2020
- Green, Victor HugoCreated The Negro Motorist Green Book, the essential travel guide for Black Americans during the Jim Crow era1892-1960
- Gurley, O.W. (Ottawa W.)Founded the Greenwood District in Tulsa, Oklahoma, known as 'Black Wall Street'1868-1935
- Hamilton, ArlanFounded Backstage Capital while homeless; pioneered a crowdfunding model allowing public investment in a private venture capital management company1980-
- Herndon, AlonzoFounded the Atlanta Life Insurance Company; became Atlanta's first African American millionaire1858-1927
- Herndon, Norris B.Led Atlanta Life Insurance Company for 46 years, growing it from $1 million to $84 million in assets1897-1977
- Hill, Jesse Jr.Led Atlanta Life Insurance Company to become the largest Black-owned life insurance company in the nation; first Black president of a major city's chamber of commerce1926-2012
- Hobson, MellodyFirst Black woman to chair an S&P 500 company; co-CEO of Ariel Investments1969-
- Hooks, BenjaminFirst Black FCC Commissioner; telecommunications policy advocacy1925-2010
- Houston, Norman OliverCo-founded Golden State Mutual Life Insurance Company; raised the company's initial $15,000 capital requirement1893–1981
- Howroyd, Janice BryantFounded The ActOne Group in 1978 with roughly $1,500 and a borrowed fax machine, building it into the first billion-dollar company owned and operated by an African American woman1952-present
- Hughes, CathyFounded Radio One (now Urban One) in 1980 after being turned down by more than 30 banks, and became, in 1999, the first African American woman to chair a publicly traded corporation1947-present
- Ikard, BoseTrusted lead cowhand on the historic Goodnight-Loving Trail cattle drives, credited by rancher Charles Goodnight as more reliable than any other man he employed1847-1929
- Johnson, Eunice W.Founded Fashion Fair Cosmetics, addressing makeup needs of Black women1916-2010
- Johnson, George E.Founder of Johnson Products Company and creator of the Ultra Sheen and Afro Sheen Black hair-care lines; built the first Black-owned company listed on the American Stock Exchange (1971)1927–2017
- Johnson, George E. Sr.Co-founded Johnson Products Company, built Afro Sheen and Ultra Sheen, and led the first Black-owned company traded on a major U.S. stock exchange1927–2026
- Johnson, Joan HendersonCo-founded Johnson Products Company; repositioned Ultra Sheen into the home-use hair relaxer that drove the company's breakthrough growth among women consumers1923–2020
- Johnson, John HaroldFounded Johnson Publishing Company in 1942 with a $500 loan against his mother's furniture, building it into the largest Black-owned publishing company in the world through Ebony (1945) and Jet (1951) magazines1918-2005
- Johnson, Robert L.Co-founded Black Entertainment Television; became the first African American billionaire1946-
- Johnson, Sheila CrumpCo-founded Black Entertainment Television; became the first Black female billionaire in the United States; founded Salamander Hotels and Resorts1949-
- Joyner, Marjorie StewartPermanent wave hair machine; beauty industry education leadership1896-1994
- Joyner, Thomas “Tom”Built The Tom Joyner Morning Show into the top-rated nationally syndicated urban radio program for a quarter century (1994-2019), then used its platform to found the Tom Joyner Foundation, which has raised more than $65 million in scholarship support for historically Black colleges and universities1949-present
- Keckley, Elizabeth HobbsBuilt a 20-seamstress dressmaking business; personal modiste and confidante to First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln1818-1907
- Lee, JosephBread-making and bread-crumbing machines for commercial bakeries1849–1905
- Leidesdorff, William Alexander Jr.Built America's first Black-owned business empire in Gold Rush-era San Francisco, the city's first hotel, first public school, first commercial warehouse, and first steamship on San Francisco Bay, becoming the first known Black millionaire in United States history1810-1848
- Lewis, Reginald F.Attorney, financier, and entrepreneur who built TLC Beatrice International into a billion-dollar Black-owned corporation1942–1993
- Little, MabelBuilt a multi-decade hair salon business in Tulsa's Greenwood District after arriving with $1.25c.1896-2001
- Love, Nat ('Deadwood Dick')Celebrated Black cowboy of the post-Civil War American West; authored one of the only full-length autobiographies by a Black cowhand1854-1921
- Malone, Annie TurnboPioneering Black beauty-industry entrepreneur and chemist: developed a line of non-damaging hair straighteners, scalp treatments, and oils (notably 'Wonderful Hair Grower') and founded Poro College, the first cosmetology school and agent-training system for Black hair-care professionals1869–1957
- Mason, Bridget "Biddy"Won her freedom through a landmark 1856 California court case, then became one of the first Black women to own land in Los Angeles, building a real estate fortune worth an estimated $300,000 at her death1818-1891
- McGhee, Norman L. Sr.Founded the first Black-owned brokerage firm in the United States; first African American licensed stock dealer in the Midwest1897-1979
- Merrick, JohnFounded the North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company, which became the world's largest Black-owned business within its first years1859-1919
- Montgomery, Isaiah ThorntonCo-founded Mound Bayou, Mississippi, in 1887, which grew into the largest self-governing all-Black town in the United States, with its own bank, cotton oil mill, and thousands of Black landowning residents at its peak1847-1924
- Moore, Aaron McDuffieCo-founded the North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company; served as its second president1863-1923
- Morton, Azie TaylorFirst African American woman to have her signature appear on U.S. currency1936-2003
- Nail, John EdwardCo-founded Nail & Parker, Inc., the Harlem real estate firm that continued and expanded Philip Payton Jr.'s vision after Payton's death, eventually managing nearly fifty apartment buildings worth $1 million annually, earning Nail and his partner the title 'Little Fathers' of Harlem1883-1947
- Newman, Lyda D.Improved synthetic-bristle hairbrush design for Black hair care1885–Unknown
- Nickerson, William Jr.Founded the Golden State Mutual Life Insurance Company after California's existing insurers refused to cover most Black residents1879–1945
- Overton, AnthonyBuilt one of the first major Black-owned business conglomerates (cosmetics, banking, publishing)1864-1946
- Pace, HarryFounded Black Swan Records, one of the first Black-owned record labels1884-1943
- Payton, Philip Anthony Jr.Founded the Afro-American Realty Company in 1904 and personally engineered the real estate strategy that transformed Harlem from a predominantly white neighborhood into the Black cultural capital that hosted the Harlem Renaissance1876-1917
- Pelzer, NathanFounded Clinify Health, a data analytics platform for underserved community health clinicsContemporary
- Pleasant, Mary EllenBuilt a real estate, mining, and boardinghouse fortune in Gold Rush-era San Francisco while covertly running California's western branch of the Underground Railroad, becoming, by most accounts, the first self-made Black millionaire in American history, decades before Madam C.J. Walker1814-1904
- Plybeah, EricaFounded MedHaul, a medical transportation logistics platformContemporary
- Point du Sable, Jean BaptisteEstablished the first permanent trading settlement at the mouth of the Chicago River in the 1780s, building it into a prosperous multi-building trading post recognized as the founding settlement of what became the city of Chicagoc. 1745-1818
- Powell, William 'Bill' (golf)Founded, designed, built, financed, owned, and operated Clearview Golf Club in East Canton, Ohio, clearing and seeding the land largely by hand (work begun 1946; first nine holes opened 1948; expanded to 18 holes in 1978)1916-2009
- Price, LisaFounded Carol's Daughter, one of the first African American-owned beauty brands to achieve a national flagship retail presence1962-
- Procope, ErnestaFounded E.G. Bowman, the first Black-owned business located on Wall Street1923-2021
- Rogers, John W. Jr.Founded Ariel Investments, the first and largest Black-owned investment firm in the United States1958-
- Searles, Joseph L. IIIFirst African American to do business on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange1942–2021
- Shady Rest Golf and Country ClubFirst African American-owned and -operated golf and country club in the United States; a nine-hole course and cultural hub purchased and reorganized in 1921 by the Progressive Realty Company, a group of Black investors1921-present
- Smith, Robert F.Founded Vista Equity Partners, a $100+ billion software-focused private equity firm; became the wealthiest African American1962-
- Smitherman, A.J. (Andrew Jackson)Founded the Tulsa Star, a Black newspaper that informed Greenwood residents of their legal rights and documented racial violence1883-1961
- Spaulding, Charles ClintonServed as General Manager and later third president of North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company for nearly three decades1874-1952
- St. John, LillaFirst African American woman to pass the New York Stock Exchange licensing examination1923–Unknown
- Stephens, TheoraImproved pressing and curling iron design1926–1994
- Stradford, J.B. (John the Baptist)Built the Stradford Hotel, the largest Black-owned hotel in the United States; co-developed Tulsa's Greenwood District1861-1935
- Sutton, Percy EllisCo-founded Inner City Broadcasting Corporation in 1971, purchasing WLIB-AM as New York City's first Black-owned radio station, then rescued Harlem's Apollo Theater from bankruptcy in 19811920-2009
- Turner, Viola MitchellRose from cashier-clerk to senior financial leadership at North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company, a cornerstone of Durham's 'Black Wall Street'1900–1988
- Walker Shaw, PatriciaLed Universal Life Insurance Company as the third generation of her family to head the company1939-1985
- Walker, A. MaceoLed Universal Life Insurance Company for over three decades, continuing his father's legacy of community investment1909-1994
- Walker, J.E. (Joseph Edison)Founded Universal Life Insurance Company, which became the fourth-largest Black-owned life insurance company in the United States1879–1958
- Walker, Madam C.J. (Sarah Breedlove)Built a hair care empire training tens of thousands of Black women as sales agents; recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records as the first female self-made millionaire in America1867-1919
- Walker, Maggie LenaFirst Black woman to charter and serve as president of a bank in the United States1864-1934
- Walker, Solomon W.Founded the Pilgrim Benevolent Aid Association, which grew into Pilgrim Health and Life Insurance Company, the first insurer for African Americans in GeorgiaDates Unknown
- Washington, Sarah SpencerFounded Apex News and Hair Company; beauty product chemistry innovation1889-1953
- Williams, John and LoulaBuilt and operated the Dreamland Theatre, among the most prominent Black-owned businesses in Tulsa's Greenwood Districtunknown
- Wisdom, AshleeFounded Health in Her Hue, a platform connecting women of color with culturally sensitive healthcare providersContemporary
- Wormley, JamesBuilt one of Washington D.C.'s most prominent hotel businesses of the era1819-1884
- Amos, WallyEntrepreneur who founded Famous Amos Cookies, opened the first Famous Amos cookie store in Los Angeles in 1975, and helped turn gourmet chocolate-chip cookies into a nationally marketed consumer brand.1936–2024