A Way out of No Way: Black Entrepreneurship in the US

This session will feature Professor Keith Hollingsworth from Morehouse College in conversation with Keller Center Fellow Ihsan Beezer and Keller Center Executive Director Cornelia Huellstrunk. Professor Hollingsworth, who developed one of the few Black entrepreneurship history courses in the US, will share highlights from his acclaimed course focused on the trials, tribulations and successes of Black entrepreneurs throughout the history of the country. Emphasis will be placed on the social, legal and political contexts that both encouraged and discouraged Black business success as well as strategies employed to generate success. Beyond discussion of his course, this interactive conversation will also focus on Dr. Hollingsworth’s learnings and experiences garnered throughout his 28-year career at Morehouse as a minority (white) faculty member at a majority (Black) HBCU.

Facilitator Bios

Cornelia Huellstrunk is the administrative head of the Keller Center and plays a critical role in developing the Center’s strategic direction, kicking off new initiatives and overseeing the Center’s day to day operations encompassing a broad portfolio of curricular/ co-curricular initiatives in entrepreneurship, design and innovation. She also co-leads the Program in Institutional and Historical Racism in Engineering, Technology and Innovation at SEAS and co-leads along with Ishan Beezer the Workshop series on the History and Legacy of Black Entrepreneurship in the United States.

Ishan Beezer serves as a Keller Center Fellow whose research focuses on urban and minority entrepreneurship. He co-leads the Workshop series on the History and Legacy of Black Entrepreneurship in the United States.

Dr. Keith Hollingsworth is Professor of Business Administration at Morehouse College and actively involved in student development and research on Black Business HistoryHis classes include Data Analytics and Modeling and Black Entrepreneurial History in the US. In 2003, Hollingsworth was the recipient of the Vulcan Materials Teaching Excellence Award for Morehouse College.