Aetna’s 2012 African American History Calendar Highlights Entrepreneurship in the Community
February 23 2012 - 3:25PM
Business Wire
When searching historical records for documentation of African
American history, often missing are stories of African Americans
who forged and encouraged economic liberation through
entrepreneurship and business enterprise. Aetna (NYSE: AET)
chronicles the timeline of some of the most groundbreaking and
inspiring business achievements of African Americans in the last
200+ years and tells today’s stories of 14 young entrepreneurs from
around the U.S. in its 31st annual African American History
Calendar titled “Celebrating Innovation: Leading the next
generation of business.”
“Black business history dates back to Colonial America,” writes
Dr. Juliet E.K. Walker, founder and director of the Center for
Black Business History, Entrepreneurship and Technology at the
University of Texas at Austin, where she also serves as a history
professor. In the calendar’s introduction, she explains: “Until the
Civil War, both slaves and free blacks worked as business owners in
the preindustrial mainstream business community.
“Most successful black businesspeople were wholesale and retail
merchants, as well as lumber and coal merchants. Some were
commission brokers, as well as manufacturers. Blacks also owned
steamships and railroad cars. Others invested in government, and
commercial stocks and bonds. Several achieved wealth in excess of
$100,000, particularly those who owned large real estate holdings
and plantations. Blacks also were involved in international trade.
African American women have a historic tradition in business dating
back to Colonial Times, too.”
Mark T. Bertolini, CEO and president of Aetna, said, “Like those
pioneers from years ago, the 14 young entrepreneurs honored in this
year’s calendar all believed it was possible to do something
extraordinary with their lives. They were born with an
entrepreneurial spirit. Many entered into business for themselves
before the age of 10. Aetna traveled across the country to gain
perspectives from young entrepreneurs who, despite humble
beginnings, have already earned millions, sold and purchased
businesses, formed a foundation to support youth, authored books
and even had their faces pictured on credit cards.”
“Aetna is proud to mark the 31st year of our African American
History Calendar,” said Floyd Green, Aetna’s head of community
relations and urban marketing. “This is a celebration of the
remarkable ambition of young entrepreneurs who are working day and
night to make a difference in the communities where they live and
work.”
Entrepreneurs featured in the calendar represent a wide
diversity of businesses and pursuits. For example, 23-year-old
Chicago area twins, Ashton and Ryan Clark, own multiple online
businesses. Natalia Allen, from White Plains, N.Y., owns a company
hired by DuPont to integrate conductive fibers into fashion. The
result: clothing with electronics, lights and displays smart enough
to monitor heart rates. Allen also has designed eco-innovative
clothing for brands such as DKNY®, Calvin Klein®, and Quiksilver®.
James Taylor, a former professional basketball player and high
school teacher from South Florida, runs a youth sports development
agency. The company offers one-on-one basketball lessons, a
basketball summer camp and basketball academies.
Other entrepreneurs profiled in the 2012 calendar are:
- Hamet Watt, co-founder of bLife, Inc.,
with a mission to develop engaging and effective science-based
tools that enable people to lead healthier and happier lives;
- Gabrielle Jordan Williams, who launched
Jewelz of Jordan and makes quality children’s jewelry. As a
fifth-grade student, she wrote The Making of a Young
Entrepreneur;
- Dr. Farrah Gray, founder and CEO of
Farrah Gray Foundation, which teaches inner-city and high-risk
youth how to become entrepreneurs;
- Lisa Price, founder of Carol’s
Daughter, Inc., which creates and sells innovative hair, body and
bath, and skincare products;
- Kenneth L. Harris, President and CEO of
the Michigan Black Chamber of Commerce, with a goal of
reinvigorating Michigan;
- Jermaine Griggs, Founder of Hear and
Play Music, a company that produces instructional DVDs for learning
to play music;
- Khary and Selena Cuffe, co-founders,
CEO and CFO of Heritage Link Brands, LLC, which imports South
African wines;
- Tina Wells, CEO and Founder of Buzz
Marketing Group, which helps clients build prosperous connections
with the youth market; and
- Amos Winbush, III, Founder and CEO of
CyberSynchs, which created and sells a platform allowing consumers
to synch data across operating systems and devices.
The 2012 African American History Calendar – Celebrating
Innovation: Leading the next generation of business – is available
for $4 by calling 860-273-0509. The online version of the calendar
is available at Aetna’s diversity website:
www.aetnaafricanamericancalendar.com.
About Aetna
Aetna is one of the nation's leading diversified health care
benefits companies, serving approximately 36.4 million people with
information and resources to help them make better informed
decisions about their health care. Aetna offers a broad range of
traditional, voluntary and consumer-directed health insurance
products and related services, including medical, pharmacy, dental,
behavioral health, group life and disability plans, and medical
management capabilities and health care management services for
Medicaid plans. Our customers include employer groups, individuals,
college students, part-time and hourly workers, health plans,
health care providers, governmental units, government-sponsored
plans, labor groups and expatriates. For more information, see
www.aetna.com.
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