Overton, Anthony
1864-1946 · Contribution: 1898-1920s
Built one of the first major Black-owned business conglomerates (cosmetics, banking, publishing)
Portraits are AI-generated interpretations, not photographs.
Impact on the world
Became the first African-American to head a major business conglomerate, expanding from cosmetics manufacturing into banking, insurance, and publishing.
Life & background
Born into slavery, Overton founded Overton Hygienic Manufacturing Company in 1898, building one of the first cosmetics lines for Black women, then expanded into banking and publishing to become one of the first Black Americans to lead a major business conglomerate.
Sources
- BlackPast.org; National Park Service; African American Registry
More in Business & Misc.
Ajao, Adeyemi
unknown
Co-founded Base10 Partners, the first Black-led venture capital firm to manage over $1 billion in assets
Allen, Byron
1961-present
Built 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 history
Allen, Eliza
c.1840-after 1910
Only woman listed on the founding charter of the first chartered African American-owned bank in the United States
Awotona, Tope
1981-
Founded Calendly, a widely used scheduling software platform