Black Corporate Board Readiness

Where Diverse Leaders Prepare for Impact

The Black Corporate Board Readiness (BCBR) program accelerates diverse representation in corporate governance by accompanying highly experienced, qualified Black leaders through a structured executive education program. The BCBR program connects participants to seasoned board members, rigorously prepares them to excel, and builds a community devoted to better business performance and racial equity.

We launched the inaugural BCBR cohort in February 2021 on the foundations of the Women's Corporate Board Readiness program. BCBR is a “for us, by us” community: we seek to provide a safe space for conversations about the realities and responsibilities of being Black on a corporate board, and each program participant is accompanied by a mentor with lived experience as a Black corporate director.

BCBR Bay Area Mixer

Testimonial by Christiane Pendarvis, Cohort 2

Cohort 2 Testimonial

Networking in Sonoma County

Testimonial 2

New Board Appointment

Testimonial by Barry Lawson Williams, Program Advisor

Testimonial 3

The BCBR program comprises over 40 virtual contact hours with exceptional facilitators and experienced Black leaders and 4 hours of individual mentorship:

The nuts and bolts of corporate governance.
Marketing yourself for board service and the search process.
Realities and responsibilities of being Black on a corporate board.

See Schedule

Across the nation, people are screaming, crying out for social equality and to get rid of social injustice, inequality. My feeling is that business has a role to play and that it’s very important for business to act now. If business does not show leadership now, people will look for leadership elsewhere. Leadership by business starts by ensuring more diversity in the boardroom.

Program Advisory Board

Caretha Coleman

Board Chair, Adviser, Principal

40 years experience in the technology industry spanning early stage ventures to public companies. Board member, The RealReal, Chairman of The Leverage Network, former Chairman of Dignity Health; deep CHRO experience.

Mark Goodman

Board Member, Chief Executive Officer, Global Brand Strategist

20 years experience in global brand development, building and rebuilding brand operations within consumer-driven retail, food, and financial service industries, including Fortune 1 and 50 companies.

Almaz Negash

Executive Director, African Diaspora Network

Named as one of the 100 outstanding Silicon Valley Women of Influence for her work in social innovation. In 2010, founded (ADN) to facilitate direct collaboration between entrepreneurs and investors.

Desirée Stolar

Strategist. Director. Advisor

Serves as Managing Director of Alumni Engagement and the Senior Executive Leader Fellowship (SELF) at the national nonprofit MLT and is a board member for ventures and institutions.

Robin Washington

Board Director and Adviser, CFO

Board Member & Strategic Advisor

Serves on the boards of Alphabet (Leadership Development, Inclusion, and Compensation Committee Chair), Honeywell, Salesforce (Audit Committee Chair). Co-founder of Black Women on Boards. Governance, finance, enterprise software, life sciences, and operations expertise.

Barry Lawson Williams

Retired General Managing Partner, Williams Pacific Ventures

Served on 14 major public company boards; created the Black Corporate Directors Time Capsule Project. WPV focuses on startups, acquisitions, and real estate. Learn how to support the Barry Lawson Williams BCBR Endowment.

Facilitators, Mentors, and Advisors

Meet our community of leaders accompanying BCBR program participants.

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