Our story
empowering the black community
+
developing inspired leaders
Coalition of Black Excellence was started by Black professionals from over 40 organizations with the goal of building community among Black professionals. The entirely volunteer-led team launched CBE Week, a gathering designed to highlight excellence in the Black community, bring together talented Black professionals across different sectors, and strategically discuss advancing the Black community.
After a successful inaugural event, CBE formalized as a 501(c)3 and expanded its programming to include a Summit for Black professionals across sectors. In August 2019, CBE merged with The Recharge Group, an organization of Black professionals connecting to share unique experiences and strengthen African American Bay Area social bonds.
CBE activates its vision with its events at the Battery, featuring panel discussions across CBE’s professional development tracks, and through CBE Week. With partnership events, CBE Summit, Code Black Gala, and more, CBE programming serves as a platform for uniting, celebrating, and uplifting the Black community as a whole.

we envision a
unified & thriving
Black community
CBE is dedicated to unifying and elevating the Black community.
Our collective approach to racial equity and justice focuses on the (1) nonprofits dedicated to the Black community, (2) majority owned Black businesses, and (3) Black professionals across sectors.
"As an organization, our mission is to unify and elevate the Black community. We started our journey focused on bridging gaps in the Black community and creating spaces for Black professionals across generations, backgrounds, and industries to come together to support each other in our careers and business. Now, more than ever we need to break down silos, come together and find ways to leverage our collective expertises to elevate our community."
coalition of black excellence Co - CEOs
CBE goals:
Build
- To build coalitions that leverage assets effectively and efficiently to achieve collective impact across the Black community.
- To build an ecosystem that supports majority black owned businesses by providing access to human and financial capital.
- To build networks that provide opportunities for career mobility and help establish diverse talent pipelines across industries.
Promote
- To promote and celebrate nonprofits for the purpose of attracting human and financial capital and amplifying their impact.
- To promote and celebrate majority owned Black businesses, founders and entrepreneurs for the purpose of increasing access to capital and customer base.
- To promote and celebrate Black professionals across sectors by supporting their career growth, personal brand, and networking opportunities.
Inspire
- To inspire Black professionals to give their time, talent and treasure to deserving nonprofits.
- To inspire the circulation of Black dollars into Black businesses.
- To inspire the continued professional and personal growth, and to highlight Black professional excellence in the community at large.
"I recently moved to the Bay Area for a new job and hadn't had much interaction with black professionals until the CBE Summit. It was refreshing and reinvigorating to meet and learn from so many like-minded professionals."
our
executive
team
ANGELA JOHNSON
Uber Technologies Inc.
FOUNDER & CO-CEO
DR. MARK
SPENCER
CO-CEO
SHANNON
NASH
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
NAKEENA TAYLOR
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
MICHELE
ROSS
CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER
JULIAN
ROSS
CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER
our
CBE
team
LESLIE
SPENCER
CBE Programs Committee
BEN
WANZO
PITCH DAY CHAIR
CBE SUMMIT
Y'ANAD BURRELL
CBE Marketing & Comms Committee
ROBERT WHITE
LEGAL PITCH DAY CHAIR
CBE SUMMIT
ROBYN E. CROSS
CBE Programs Committee
JAMAL THOMPSON
CBE Programs Committee
ADAMAKA AJAELO
Self-eSTEM
CBE Program Committee
MICHAEL FLANIGAN
CBE Programs Committee
LIKU MADOSHI
TREPPA & CRANE LLP
Recharge Program Director
IMANI BORDEAUX
Impact Nonprofit Program Lead
MONICA MONROE
IMPACT NONPROFIT PROGRAM DIRECTOR
CBE Programs Committee
KEVIN NICHOLS
Community Outreach Co-Chair
SIMONE
DAVIS
Volunteer Director
JEREMIAH TOLBERT
COMMUNITY OUTREACH CO-CHAIR
CBE PARTNERSHIPS TEAM
KIMBERLY
GANT
Creative Director
KEVIN COLEMAN
COMMUNITY OUTREACH CO-CHAIR
CBE PARTNERSHIPS TEAM
SHAUNTRICE MARTIN
Impact Nonprofit Program Lead
RHASHAD R.
PITTMAN
Communications Director
EVA PULLIAM
SPONSORSHIP DIRECTOR, GOV'T & LEGAL COMMITTEE MEMBER
CBE FINANCE & SPONSORSHIP TEAM
our
advisory
board
SHELLYE ARCHAMBEAU
FORMER CEO OF METRICSTREAM
ADVISORY BOARD MEMBER
CBE ADVISORY BOARD
TONY WEST
ADVISORY BOARD MEMBER
CBE ADVISORY BOARD
MELANIE GROSS
ADVISORY BOARD MEMBER
CBE ADVISORY BOARD
CHRISTOPHE MOSBY
HP, INC.
ADVISORY BOARD MEMBER
CBE ADVISORY BOARD
JEREMIAH TOLBERT
ADVISORY BOARD MEMBER
CBE ADVISORY BOARD
ACHIA
SWIFT
ADVISORY BOARD MEMBER
CBE ADVISORY BOARD
SAAFIR
RABB JR.
ADVISORY BOARD MEMBER
CBE ADVISORY BOARD
ROBERT
WHITE
ADVISORY BOARD MEMBER
CBE ADVISORY BOARD
TAJ
CLAYTON
ADVISORY BOARD CHAIR
CBE ADVISORY BOARD
BEN
THOMPSON
ADVISORY BOARD MEMBER
CBE ADVISORY BOARD
WILSON
WHITE
ADVISORY BOARD MEMBER
CBE ADVISORY BOARD
JOHN
WHITE
VENTURE HOLDINGS
ADVISORY BOARD MEMBER
CBE ADVISORY BOARD
STRATEGIC COLLABORATIONS
we're proud to work
with our partners



![2019-Vendor-Showcase-_0001_vendors-_0002_BAOBOB-Seal-[black-transp]](https://cbenonprofit.org/wp-content/plugins/lazy-load/images/1x1.trans.gif)




