Black Professionals Summit: Building legacy, wealth and impact

Black leaders inspire entrepreneurs to be the heroes of their communities

By Amelia Orjuela Da Silva, Miami Times Staff Writer

The Black Professionals Network (BPN) hosted its 10th Annual Summit at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino last week. The event, themed “LegacyCon: House of Heroes,” brought together Black professionals, entrepreneurs and thought leaders united by a common vision: to build lasting legacies through financial success, personal development and community impact.

Kenasha Paul, the founder and CEO of BPN, opened the summit with a message about the importance of the work at hand.

“We take our mission very seriously,” she said. “For 10 years, we’ve been helping to grow networks, host conferences, and offer academies and workshops that teach how to grow your net worth, create impact and most importantly, how to be the heroes our communities need.”

Paul emphasized that support networks like these are often rare in Black communities.

“We know we don’t all have those resources or opportunities at our fingertips,” she said. “But that’s why we’re here today. We can’t wait for others to care about our issues. We need to be the ones creating opportunities and writing the checks. We need to become the next generation of trust fund babies, and that starts with us, right here, right now.”

The summit also provided opportunities for attendees to gain insights and reflect on their entrepreneurial journeys.

“One of the biggest things for me is wealth building,” said Katrice Dixon, founder of Rich Teacher Vibes, an educational consulting business. “Being able to understand what that looks like long term for my family, so this business, everything that I’m doing, my efforts are living well beyond me.”

A legacy rewritten

Fawn Weaver, co-founder of Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey and two-time New York Times bestselling author, took the stage as the keynote speaker, sharing her resilience, entrepreneurship, and legacy-building journey. Weaver has become a trailblazer in reshaping the whiskey industry by highlighting Nathan “Nearest” Green,  a formerly enslaved man who taught Jack Daniel the art of distilling.

“I don’t actually care about my personal legacy,” Weaver said. “I’m  lifting up the story of Nearest Green, the first African American master distiller on record.”

Weaver emphasized the power of storytelling in business.

“You can’t compete with marketing dollars, but you can dominate with earned media,” she explained, referencing how she leveraged press coverage to build the Uncle Nearest brand.

She recalled how the first investors in her company were her husband’s former bosses, who believed in her because they trusted his judgment. Despite the risks involved, including competing with a $24 billion company, Weaver’s business plan and, more importantly, her unshakable confidence and storytelling ability convinced them to invest.

“It goes back to the art of storytelling,” Weaver said. “It’s the storytelling combined with the confidence that I can do this.”

Weaver also shared her belief in the power of ownership. She explained that her company’s success is rooted not just in hard work but in owning the land and resources that ensure long-term growth.

“When we build something that adds value, we need to ensure we benefit from that value, not someone else,” she said, pointing to the downfall of businesses like Charlie Palmer Steak in Washington, D.C., which didn’t own its properties.

Weaver’s story of overcoming challenges, such as dropping out of high school at 15 and experiencing homelessness, resonated deeply with the audience. She spoke about how she studied the lives of America’s greatest business figures, including Andrew Carnegie and E.I. DuPont, to learn the key to building generational wealth: ownership.

“What they all had in common was a belief in ownership and the ability to build generational wealth,” Weaver shared.

She also reflected on her deep connection to Nearest Green’s legacy, revealing that she shares a birthday with him and his granddaughter.

“What I’m doing isn’t by accident, she said. “I am not unclear about who chose me.”

The web of wealth

In another session, Cedric Nash, a wealth coach and investor, discussed “The Web of Wealth: Creating Multiple Streams of Income.” He outlined three types of income: active, passive, and mostly passive. Active income, like a job or small business, requires direct time and effort. Passive income, such as real estate or investments, requires less day-to-day involvement. Nash stressed the importance of balancing these income sources to build sustainable wealth.

“The ultimate goal is to have money coming in while you sleep,” Nash said, stressing that relying on just one income source, such as a job, can be risky, especially in uncertain times.

“If you lose one source, you’ve still got others to fall back on,” he added.

Nash shared his personal journey of building wealth through real estate and strategic investments, noting that having multiple income streams offers more control over your time and the ability to contribute to causes you care about.

“Wealth building isn’t just about financial freedom,” he said. “It’s about creating a lasting legacy.”

He also outlined five key steps for creating multiple income streams: define financial goals, build a solid foundation, diversify income sources, automate income streams, and reinvest to expand.

Nash concluded with a reminder that millionaires often have seven or more income streams, including dividends, rental income, royalties, and business profits.

A panel discussion, “Powerful Impact: How to Amplify Social Causes,” explored ways professionals can create social change through nonprofit leadership, corporate responsibility and community engagement. Shekeria Brown, vice president of southeast corporate responsibility at JPMorgan Chase, spoke about her work on inclusive economic development.

“For our business to thrive, the communities we operate in must thrive too,” she emphasized, explaining how JPMorgan Chase leverages its resources to support community growth.

Brandon Okpalobi, founder of Divya Dream, discussed his mission to mentor youth through sports, STEM education, and financial literacy.

“I created Divya Dream to help kids who face struggles like I did,” he said.

Dr. David H. Kenton, COO of the Children’s Services Council of Broward County, stressed the importance of building partnerships to amplify social impact.

“We need to ensure resources are sustainable and tangible,” he said, advocating for collaboration among corporations, nonprofits, and community organizations.

The panel concluded with a discussion on self-awareness as a key component of social change. Dr. Kenton urged professionals to recognize their own strengths and challenges in driving lasting impact.

“The work begins with understanding who you are and how you can contribute to meaningful change.”

During the event, Miami-Dade County Commissioner Oliver G. Gilbert also was recognized for his contributions to the Black community.