Last month, I had the pleasure of attending the Forbes Under 30 Summit in Detroit. If you don’t already know, your girl made the Class of 2021 list under the Art and Style section. I am extremely honored and grateful everyday for this accolade, and the summit was another reason to give praise.
Outside of the Detroit Opera House wearing the Tikshya Afro Duster
The summit was a mix of keynote speakers, roundtables, dinners, parties, and general networking. I went in thinking I’d have to be on my p’s and q’s in order to make business connections. I’ll be honest, I felt some pressure being amongst a crowd of insanely successful people. Imposter syndrome was in full effect.
However, when I arrived, I felt quite the opposite. The pressure was lifted off by the smiles and warm spirits of friendly faces of fellow listers. These are the greatest group of people I’ve ever met. I felt so connected to everyone I met. They were all high-level thinkers, ambitious, bold, yet compassionate, and deep.
With Some Fellow Listers
I was so proud to see many Black women in the building, all who were thriving in their fields in the public and private sector. The Class of 2021 was Forbes most diverse class in the lists 10 year history.
What I wore: In all honestly, I was a bit hesitant when choosing my wardrobe. African print in a professional setting is still not widely accepted, but I chose the unapologetic route. It was a great decision. I felt so confident in my clothes and it was a great conversation starter when someone complimented my outfit.
Day 1: Tikshya Afro Duster paired with a simple black tank, leather tights, and black heels.
Day 2: Kina Afro Duster paired with wide leg green pants, a bustier bra top, and simple black heels.
Day 3: Sabirah Oversized Shirt Dress paired with a simple black heel.
Inside Rocket Mortgage’s Lounge Wearing the Sabirah Dress
Notable speakers include Founder of Bumble, Whitney Wolfe, Founder of Rocket Mortgage, Former CEO of Cisco, Dan Gilbert, and Alexandra Cooper, creator of the podcast Call Her Daddy.
Words of wisdom from former Cisco CEO John Chambers
Here are my 3 biggest takeaways:
- All leaders fail: It’s guaranteed. However, leaders develop more during the setback
- Grow a strong team: Just because you’re brilliant in some areas doesn’t mean you can translate that to other areas in your business.
- Entrepreneurship is a lifestyle, not a job.
If you have any questions, need advice, or are thinking about attending next years summit, just shoot me a message on LinkedIn.