Hidden Gems: Meet Aaron Francois of Black Visionaries Inc.

Today we’d like to introduce you to Aaron Francois.

Hi Aaron, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Since childhood, I was taught that as a Black man, I’d face a lot of adversity whether it was school, work, or everyday life. As opposed to receiving it as a form of mental defeat, I took it on as a challenge, being the natural competitor I am. From school to my professional career, I made it my personal mission to shine brightly in rooms where I often felt unwelcome.

Eventually, I had an opportunity to share that impact at scale by helping an organization start its first Employee Resource Group in partnership with a former colleague. We built a community of Black Professionals in the company, focused on career advancement, workplace culture, and mentorship and support. But that wasn’t enough for it to be respected via my internal growth. These initiatives were often described as “extracurricular” or outside of my job.

A few years later, I stepped into a new role, where I supported an ERG and faced the same challenges. Then it clicked for me: I needed to build something where I could create without asking for permission. Then came Black Visionaries Inc., a non-profit 501(c)(3) I started with the mission to make career advancement a non-negotiable for Black Professionals across industries. It was no secret that the challenges I faced in my industry weren’t as bespoke as I may have assumed. The main difference was the willingness to tackle them. As it stands today, we’ve become a hub for working professionals and entrepreneurs across the diaspora, providing resources and community connection both IRL and digitally.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The road has honestly been anything but smooth. Operating a non-profit with an immediate acknowledgement of its audience identity being “Black” in its business name came with more political challenges than I originally anticipated. This was in connection with the attack on DEI initiatives and all things associated with them. For us, the impact included unexpected pivots from previous funders, community discouragement, and decreased visibility. Instead of changing who we were, we remained rooted in our values and worked to identify new outlets that understood that Black Visionaries isn’t a “DEI organization”; it’s a career advancement organization that emphasizes the Black professional experience.

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Black Visionaries Inc.?
It was no secret that the challenges I faced in my personal career industry (marketing) weren’t as bespoke as I may have assumed. The main difference was the willingness to tackle them. As it stands today, we’ve become a hub for working professionals and entrepreneurs across the diaspora, providing resources and community connection both IRL and digitally. As an organization that started with a small Brunch event in NYC to grow our community to 2,000+ professionals across major U.S. markets in just 4 years has to be one of the things I’m most proud of. We’ve also expanded our footprint into key partnerships with cultural moments such as Culture Con, HCOC’s annual mental health and social work professionals gala, and the “Where Are All The Black People” marketing conference.

What most organizations overlook is the separation across industries. It assumes there is no overlap in challenges or interests. Our organization allows teachers to connect with marketers and entrepreneurs to build with financial advisors by simply bringing them into the same rooms to share space and build community.

We’re always looking for new ways to expand and partner with other organizations, whether via our own tentpole events like Founder’s Day or a career workshop, or a pre-set event. We can be reached via BlackVisionariesLead@gmail.com

What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
Find people who do the thing better than you and hand them the keys. As an entrepreneur, you assume things won’t get done if you don’t do them yourself, but oftentimes the real blocker of progress is you. No one has built anything sustainable alone. When you learn to trust, you create mental space to execute well in the areas where you are truly needed.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.theblackvisionaries.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackvisionarieslead/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/black-visionaries/
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@blackvisionarieslead