CEOCenter for Economic Inclusion
Tawanna A. Black is an award-winning architect of racially inclusive and equitable talent, supply chain, philanthropy and marketing strategies that yield transformational results for businesses, their consumers, and the communities they work in.
For more than 20 years, she has earned the trust of executives by mobilizing stakeholders to create and execute strategies that diverse workers, consumers, and business owners can trust.
As Founder, President, and Chief Executive Officer of the Center for Economic Inclusion (the Center), Ms. Black is on a mission to fuel racially inclusive and equitable regional economic growth in cities across the country. The Center’s proprietary, industry-leading employer assessment, index, and toolkit help corporations identify the impact of policies, investments and actions on employee productivity, business growth, and community impact. Their stakeholder engagement, change management consultation and coaching
place inclusion, anti-racism and belonging in the center in to drive measurable financial return and economic competitiveness for the cities and regions where they operate. Each year, Ms. Black and her team offer services to more than 50 businesses and government agencies and educate over 10,000 leaders.
Ms. Black’s accomplishments and civic leadership have been recognized with many awards and commendations. Highlights include Twin Cities Business Magazine’s Person of the Year (2022); Twin Cities Business Magazine’s Nonprofit Community Impact Award (2021); Twin Cities Business Magazine’s 100 People to Know (2021, 2020, 2017); Washburn University Alumni Fellow (2018); City of Minneapolis History Maker (2021); Minneapolis- St. Paul Business Journal’s Women in Business Award Winner (2017); and Living Cities’ America’s Top 25 Disruptive Leaders Closing Racial Opportunity Gaps (2016).
Ms. Black has served and led on over 35 nonprofit and philanthropic boards.