Jewel Burks Solomon

BWAM 2025: Joy, Power, and Showing Up in Style There were so many powerful conversations at this year’s Black Women in Asset Management (BWAM) Conference — the fourth annual gathering of brilliant Black women leading across industries and asset classes. Our topics ranged from nunyabusiness to AI (because when do we not talk about AI?). Given the moment we’re in, the through-line was clear: we’re still too often the only Black woman in the room — and the fight to hold that seat and maintain the respect it deserves is more real than ever. For me personally, the fall fundraising travel marathon has been already real enough. Add on the ridiculous government shutdown chaos and flight change wack-a-mole, I arrived in Atlanta exhausted and, quite frankly, depressed. But as soon as I walked up that staircase to register and saw the OUTFITS?! Felt the energy?! The Joy and smiles coming from my LADIES? Instantly restorative. The bookends: Stacey Abrams opened with her signature boldness — every word specific, actionable, and unapologetic. Kimberly N. Ellison-Taylor kept it all the way real about in our last panel about takes to show up in the boardroom: 🚫 no need to make ourselves smaller, 🚫 we don't need over explain ourselves, 🗼 just need to stay ready. And if there’s one thing about us Black women, especially FOR EACH OTHER, we show up in our finest. The fits, the energy, and the excellence are just the baseline.  For the handful of men and white women who got to be in the room, the looks on their faces were giving 🎟️ ⚱️"I've got a Golden Ticket" vibes. On Friday morning, I had the honor of moderating for the brilliant Sydney Paige Thomas, Laura Weidman Powers, and Erika Seth Davies on Mission-Driven Investing. It was a reminder that values-aligned investing is quite the opposite of philanthropy; it’s a strategy, legacy, and a charter for those of us in power to make sustainable change. In the hallways, we talked money, kids, relationships, skincare, and our collective rage all in the same breath. We LAUGHED, we yelled about each other’s outfits, stomped our feet in response to funny stories, and threw more shade than a eucalyptus tree at one another because, well, it was literally all love ❤️ Our conversations can be honest, urgent, and filled with JOY all at once. As historian Kellie Carter Jackson writes in We Refuse: “Joy is a weapon. It is how we fortify ourselves. It is how we enact our humanity.” Thank you Jacqueline James for continuing to do this important work year over year. 🎥 A few looks from the week that carried all that energy. In order: Sydney Paige Thomas, Erika Seth Davies Mary Walker Paula Groves Patrice C. Washington Antonia Dean Shila Nieves Burney

55

5 Comments

When Black businesses scale, communities soar.   Introducing the BOF Catalyst in partnership with Black Founders Network BFN Scale, a dynamic new initiative helping Black-led businesses break barriers and reach new heights.   Designed for Black-led companies at the growth stage, BOF Catalyst x BFN Scale supports entrepreneurs helping them accelerate through the next phase of growth.   Through this personalized, light-touch program, participants gain access to resources that fuel research and development, expansion, hiring, intellectual property, and professional services like legal and accounting.   We’re already two months into our first cohort of 20 exceptional founders, focusing first on business scaling and soon on integrating AI, Clean Tech, and IT to drive innovation and impact.   With BOF Catalyst x BFN Scale, we’re building more than businesses. We’re building an ecosystem of opportunity, mentorship, and innovation for Black entrepreneurs across Canada.   #WeBackBlack #BlackExcellence #BlackEntrepreneurs #BOFCatalystxBFNScale

60

1 Comment

Founder and CEO, Tanya Van Court, recently joined Portfolia for a conversation on Black founders building the future — and why investing in bold, visionary leaders matters. They talked about what it really takes to build and scale high-growth companies, where they see opportunity others don’t, and how capital can accelerate innovation and long-term value creation. Watch the complete conversation here: https://lnkd.in/gar2aE4a

10

You can feel it, something’s shifting in hard tech. From materials to manufacturing to energy, we’re seeing founders take on harder problems, and raising from investors who finally understand what it takes to build in these sectors. When Harpoon Ventures started Black Flag, our goal was simple: help critical-tech founders close the distance between great ideas and the right capital. Over the past few months, we asked hundreds of founders which investors they trust and recommend most. Their answers became something worth sharing: a public list of the most active deep-tech funds today. It’s meant to save founders time, connect them to the right partners, and make this ecosystem a little easier to navigate. 🏴‍☠️ Introducing The Black Flag Investor List → https://lnkd.in/dYsCnpnd

62

7 Comments

Year in Review: 𝗙𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗱, 𝗥𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿 2025 delivered major wins: product breakthroughs at Envisify, gained full ownership, network expansion as Fractional CEO, and Ambitio's growth alongside powerhouse women execs. The falls? They mattered just as much, shaping core values, resilience under fire, and standing taller after every hit. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗔𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱 More bold learning (what others call "failures"), purpose-driven leadership, and relentless focus on scalability & innovation across business, friendships, and life. This morning, while listening to a podcast, one line stuck with me: 𝘼𝙫𝙤𝙞𝙙 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙚𝙙𝙚 𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣. Here's to 2026, the Year of the Fire Horse: fierce, unstoppable, ready to charge 🔥 #motivation #leadership #growth #innovation

21

3 Comments