Friday, March 29, 2024

Serial Entrepreneur Dee Brown Creates Shows Highlighting Entrepreneurship, HBCU Excellence, and Inspires Generational Wealth

By Dee Brown

Not everyone gets a well-marked path to success. While flashing lights alert some travelers to the onramp, others only see the overgrown gravel road in their rearview mirror. As a first-generation college graduate from a family mired in poverty, the odds were not stacked in my favor. However, after becoming a leading expert on P3s, and President & CEO of the nation’s largest African American real estate development firm focused on public-private partnerships, I am proof that anyone can find that road. 

My own success wasn’t enough, though. I wanted to put out better signage for people like myself. I started by hosting The Sky’s the Limit: Beyond the Deal, a podcast with ForbesBooks Audio. Next, I began producing two programs for WTVP PBS: Self Made With Dee Brown CEO and #HBCYou with Dee Brown CEO. The real-life stories from the guests on these programs reveal how anyone can achieve their own dreams and goals.

Self Made With Dee Brown CEO reveals the path to entrepreneurial success


I created the program Self Made With Dee Brown CEO to showcase individuals who come from ordinary backgrounds and go on to be extraordinary in their careers. Given the right examples, I believe people have the power to become something they never thought they could be. The program provides a national platform to showcase excellence in a variety of fields.

I absolutely can relate to the guests on my show. I grew up in a rural Mississippi Delta town. To this day, there is still a lot of hopelessness and need among the people in that community. You have a small number of people doing well, and a large number of people who are impoverished. That condition is reflected in the mentality of the people there.   

My single mother and grandfather raised me. Even back then, I had a mindset that spurred me on toward success. I was always looking for entrepreneurial ways to earn a little money as a kid. 

After turning 21 and graduating from college, I never asked my mother for anything. My entrepreneurial journey began with $500 in my pocket. Grit, determination, hard work, and ingenuity brought me everything I have today. 

#HBCYou with Dee Brown CEO highlights Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs) as a key to future accomplishment


I created #HBCYou with Dee Brown CEO to provide a national platform to feature the success stories of historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). The program showcases the HBCU experience and shines the spotlight on HBCU leadership.

HBCUs have filled the educational gap for communities of color since before the Civil War. Prior to the end of segregation, HBCUs provided one of the only paths to college for African Americans.

These institutions still play a critical role for African Americans today. Though they represent only 3% of colleges in the US, they enroll 12% of African American students. They are responsible for producing 23% of African American graduates, 50% of African American teachers, 60% of African American engineers, and 70% of African American dentists. Less than 10 percent of all African American test-takers met the ACT college readiness benchmark across all four subjects in 2019. In the same year, only one in five African American SAT test-takers met both college readiness benchmarks. HBCUs provide the critical programs allowing these students to rise above the statistics and continue their educations. 

Though I attended the HBCU Alcorn State University during my freshman year, I later graduated from the University of Memphis. My inspiration to support HBCUs through the WTVP PBS program came later in life after discovering the important role they play in communities of color.

Starting the chain of generational wealth


Generational wealth is a relatively new concept in communities of color, but it’s a game-changer. Creating generational wealth means that your children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren will be born into a better life with access to quality healthcare, superior education, and unprecedented opportunities. Education and wealth are the great equalizers. They mark the path to success for all your descendants.

The path to creating generational wealth is through earning, investing, and estate planning. You must first acquire income or earnings; then, you must invest those earnings in appreciable assets and commodities. Next, you must plan how to pass down the wealth in a manner that protects it for future generations. If you are a business owner, you must also plan for the succession of your business to the next generation so it will continue to thrive and prosper. 

Self Made With Dee Brown CEO and #HBCYou with Dee Brown CEO highlight the opportunities that position viewers to create generational wealth. Long-lasting wealth can’t be created without a substantial income. Once individuals start acquiring significant earnings, they are then able to invest and plan for the future. These programs are designed to show viewers the avenues they can follow to become successful high-income earners and the challenges they will need to overcome on the journey.

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