Classic entrepreneurs who often started their businesses from scratch or withassistance from others and moved forward with a strong work ethic and the abilityto take risks to provide important products and services to enhance the economicmarketplace;

Individuals who pursued careers in various sectors of society and when theyachieved success in those areas, they used their existing platforms to startbusinesses and enhance entrepreneurial development processes;

Individuals who provide leadership in corporate America but may notnecessarily own the business enterprises that they lead, although they areinstrumental in creating new ways to embrace entrepreneurial thinking or amindset that supports capitalist development and economic expansion. 

We will also pay homage to inventors, who through the innovative productsand processes that they created, have greatly elevated the standards of living ofpeople at the local, national, and international levels of analysis.

The IBBM will also pay tribute to black owned banks and other ancillaryorganizations that have promoted the attainment of self-reliance and haveestablished strategies to promote economic empowerment of the Black community,along with scholars and researchers whose academic work has helped us todocument the tremendous record of black business achievement locally, nationally,and globally.