Edward Lewis

Edward Lewis, one of our nation’s first iconic Black entrepreneurs as the co-founder of Essence and Latina Magazine, has joined forces with The Lonely Entrepreneur (501c3) and its Black Entrepreneur Initiative (BEI) to help achieve its goal of empowering 100,000 current and aspiring Black entrepreneurs with the support they need to start or grow a business.

BEI does this by providing Black entrepreneurs free access to TLE’s Learning Community – a one stop shop for much of the knowledge, tools and support they need to succeed. The platform is provided free through support of the corporate, philanthropic and economic development partners.

Mr. Lewis will join TLE’s esteemed group of BEI Ambassadors and Black leaders that represent communities throughout the nation. For a list of Ambassadors, visit here

“Creating Essence and my other ventures was pure grit to overcome many obstacles that faced a Black entrepreneur in the year 1968. I didn’t know any way other than the work ethic that my parents instilled in me. ” Said Mr. Lewis. “I’m honored to be able to assist Black entrepreneurs by providing the knowledge and tools that BEI provides. I just wish we had BEI in 1970.”

BEI has created unprecedented cooperation among corporations, philanthropies and governments including a partnership with the Milwaukee Bucks launched on Martin Luther King Day and with the iconic Richard Petty Motorsports where the Black Entrepreneur Initiative will appear on the iconic 43 race car throughout the NASCAR season and support 4,300 Black entrepreneurs.

“We know what divides us. And now we can see what unites us.” Said Michael Dermer, founder of TLE. In honor of this partnership, any Black entrepreneur can access BEI for free for the next 5 days by visiting www.lonelyentrepreneur.com/bei

“There is no lack of talent in the Black community. Many of the iconic trends of our time – in music, food, art and fashion – came from the Black community and followed in the footsteps of Mr. Lewis.” Said TLE Founder Michael Dermer. “It is almost unfathomable what Mr. Lewis did to create Essence and his other iconic properties at a time when achieving as a Black entrepreneur was virtually impossible. Mr. Lewis is an inspiration to us all and it is a blessing to current and aspiring Black entrepreneurs that he will help get the resources that BEI provides in their hands.”

Each day, Black entrepreneurs in BEI have been improving their chance of success. Visit here for a sample of some of the reactions from Black entrepreneurs.

For organizations interested in sponsoring Black entrepreneurs, visit here.
For press interested in interviewing Michael Dermer please contact, [email protected]

Edward Lewis Bio
Edward Lewis is the co-founder of Essence magazine and former chairman and publisher emeritus of Essence Communications Inc., which is one of the largest African-American owned communications companies in the United States. For 35 years, he led the strategic direction of Essence and built it into the multi-media leader that it has become today. A frequent speaker at universities and business schools across the country, he is also the former Chairman of Latina Media Ventures and former Chairman of the Magazine Publishers of America. Mr. Lewis received his B.A. and M.A. from the University of New Mexico.

About the Black Entrepreneur Initiative
Founded by a multi-racial coalition of community and business leaders, the Black Entrepreneur Initiative is a nationwide program dedicated to offering 100,000 Black entrepreneurs’ access to foundational business –skill building tools and resources via The Lonely Entrepreneur Learning Community. The Black Entrepreneur Initiative is provided through the generous donations of corporate, philanthropic and community partners and is administered through the Lonely Entrepreneur’s non-profit. For more, please visit https://lonelyentrepreneur.com/bei.

About The Lonely Entrepreneur 501(c)(3)
The Lonely Entrepreneur seeks to unlock the potential of 1 million entrepreneurs worldwide. The Lonely Entrepreneur empowers entrepreneurs and provides corporate, non-profit, social responsibility and community efforts to provide individuals the opportunity to acquire entrepreneurial skills and have a better chance of bringing their visions to life. For more, please visit https://lonelyentrepreneur.com/nonprofit