Executive Leadership Team
Explore the driving force behind our association’s success. Get to know the dedicated individuals who lead the National Black Master Business Association towards empowerment, growth, and innovation. Learn about their diverse backgrounds, expertise, and unwavering commitment to advancing black-owned businesses across the nation. Meet the visionaries shaping our collective future today!
H. BEECHER HICKS III
President & CEO
H. Beecher Hicks III is an accomplished executive with a background as an investment banker, private equity investor, working in the executive branch of government, and as an entrepreneur. A lifetime member of the National Black MBA Association (NBMBAA), Henry will assume the President and CEO role in October 2023.
Most recently he served as the President and CEO of the National Museum of African American Music (NMAAM) since 2013. During his tenure at NMAAM he completed a $60mm capital campaign, facilitated the museum design and construction, introduced public and school programming, and opened the iconic institution in January 2021, in the midst of the COVID19 pandemic.
Henry earned a bachelor of arts degree in marketing from Morehouse College and earned an MBA from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. He is a sought-after public speaker and writer, anticipating that his first book, Power in the Name, a story of family legacy, will be published in 2024.
Henry is husband to Crystal, a gifted elementary school teacher, and proud father to two grown sons.
Most recently he served as the President and CEO of the National Museum of African American Music (NMAAM) since 2013. During his tenure at NMAAM he completed a $60mm capital campaign, facilitated the museum design and construction, introduced public and school programming, and opened the iconic institution in January 2021, in the midst of the COVID19 pandemic.
Henry earned a bachelor of arts degree in marketing from Morehouse College and earned an MBA from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. He is a sought-after public speaker and writer, anticipating that his first book, Power in the Name, a story of family legacy, will be published in 2024.
Henry is husband to Crystal, a gifted elementary school teacher, and proud father to two grown sons.
Dr. Tan Morales
Chief Learning Officer
Dr. Tan Morales brings two decades of leadership and learning in the areas of Change & Innovation, Talent and Leadership Development, and Data & Analytics as she spent many years in the Finance vertical prior to making the move to the Human Resources space. She currently serves on two corporate and one non-profit board advancing and amplifying the voices of the underserved. She is also Faculty for the Executive Leadership Council and an adjunct professor for Northeastern University’s Masters of Human Resource Management program. Dr. Tan holds a Doctorate in Leading Change and Innovation, Masters degrees and both Business and Psychology, and a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance/Accounting. Dr. Tan is passionate about aligning people and business strategy, enhancing innovation, and personal and professional development. She holds many internal and nationally recognized certifications including a Green Belt in Lean/Six Sigma methodology and a 2024 inductee into Who’s Who in America. She lives in the greater metro Atlanta area with her children, ages ten and four.
Kiana Cornish
Chief Development Officer
Kiana Cornish is the Chief Development Officer of the National Black MBA Association. She is responsible for the national headquarters annual fundraising plan, the corporate partner development team and leading the organization into its exciting Transform Campaign. Kiana’s entire professional career has been working in development, with more than twenty years as a senior fundraising executive. Kiana has worked for large national nonprofits focused on health and human services, and advocacy civil-rights organizations. Prior to joining NBMBAA, Kiana served as Chief Development Officer at Compassion & Choices and led all fundraising/advancement efforts within the strategic priorities of the organization. She also spent seven years as Vice President in corporate philanthropy and partnership building within the healthcare sector and has raised over $85 million in the course of her career. Kiana has a sincere passion for social justice issues and civil rights affairs. She has her Masters of Arts degree in Art History from Columbia University. She also holds a dual B.S. in Communications and Rhetorical Studies and African American Studies from Syracuse University. Kiana is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and a native of Southern California who currently resides in Dallas, Texas. In her free time, Kiana enjoys practicing yoga, cycling, hiking, traveling, wandering in art galleries, attending jazz and music festivals and spending time with her son.
Elaine Richardson, CMP
Vice President, Conference and Operations
In her role as Vice President, Conference and Operations, Elaine is responsible for the event strategy, design, planning, logistics and execution for NBMBAA’s in-person events. She is the chief architect of the NBMBAA® Annual Conference and Exposition, where she also manages Career Expo exhibit sales and the NBMBAA® Job Board. In her role, Elaine is also responsible for NBMBAA’s membership department, with a focus on member growth and retention strategy. She also supports NBMBAA’s overall live events portfolio, including the NBMBAA Leaders of Tomorrow®, board and other meetings.
Elaine has served as the main planner for the NBNBAA® Annual Conference and Exposition as an outsource partner since 2016, and then as a staff member since 2021. She shepherded the association through the pandemic switch and drove execution on the organization’s first fully virtual Conference in 2020, as well as its first hybrid Conference in 2021. With more than 20 years of experience serving associations, Elaine’s relationship with NBMBAA goes back to 2007, when, as an outsource partner, she built the organization’s media strategy and led the relaunch of Black MBA Magazine. For the last 16 years, Elaine has supported NBMBAA’s events, and media/communications as a writer/editor, NBMBAA’s publisher and then as a business event strategist. She has served as a strategic advisor to the last seven organization CEOs.
Prior to joining NBMBAA full time, Elaine spent 17 years at Naylor Association Solutions, where she supported media and event needs for non-profit associations across the country, working for national association clients, including the National Association of Home Builders, Association of Old Crows, National Urban League and Intermodal Association of North America, among many others. An award-winning journalist, Elaine served as the publisher and editor of Black MBA Magazine for five years and as publisher and managing editor of the Journal of Electronic Defense for more than 10 years. She has also written for The Chicago Tribune, The Daily Southtown, Money and Print magazines.
A native of the Chicago area, Elaine received her Bachelor of Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She is currently an MBA candidate at the Quantic School of Business and Technology. She holds a Certified Meeting Planner (CMP) Designation issued by the Events Industry Council and is a member of the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) and Meeting Professionals International (MPI).
Elaine has served as the main planner for the NBNBAA® Annual Conference and Exposition as an outsource partner since 2016, and then as a staff member since 2021. She shepherded the association through the pandemic switch and drove execution on the organization’s first fully virtual Conference in 2020, as well as its first hybrid Conference in 2021. With more than 20 years of experience serving associations, Elaine’s relationship with NBMBAA goes back to 2007, when, as an outsource partner, she built the organization’s media strategy and led the relaunch of Black MBA Magazine. For the last 16 years, Elaine has supported NBMBAA’s events, and media/communications as a writer/editor, NBMBAA’s publisher and then as a business event strategist. She has served as a strategic advisor to the last seven organization CEOs.
Prior to joining NBMBAA full time, Elaine spent 17 years at Naylor Association Solutions, where she supported media and event needs for non-profit associations across the country, working for national association clients, including the National Association of Home Builders, Association of Old Crows, National Urban League and Intermodal Association of North America, among many others. An award-winning journalist, Elaine served as the publisher and editor of Black MBA Magazine for five years and as publisher and managing editor of the Journal of Electronic Defense for more than 10 years. She has also written for The Chicago Tribune, The Daily Southtown, Money and Print magazines.
A native of the Chicago area, Elaine received her Bachelor of Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She is currently an MBA candidate at the Quantic School of Business and Technology. She holds a Certified Meeting Planner (CMP) Designation issued by the Events Industry Council and is a member of the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) and Meeting Professionals International (MPI).
Harold Reid
Vice President, Brand
Harold Reid is an accomplished brand and marketing executive with over two decades of experience working with global and multicultural agencies. As Vice President of Brand for the National Black MBA Association (NBMBAA), Harold leads the organization's strategic marketing, communications, and public relations initiatives. His expertise ensures the NBMBAA brand remains a leading voice for advancing economic and professional development for African Americans in business.
Throughout his career, Harold has demonstrated a passion for storytelling and empowering individuals and organizations to share their unique narratives. His strategic approach to brand building has resulted in impactful campaigns for executives, brands, and professional athletes, driving awareness and fostering positive change.
A proud graduate of a historically black college or university (HBCU), Harold is deeply committed to education and advancing opportunities for underrepresented communities. His background as a collegiate athlete in track and field further exemplifies his dedication to mentorship and coaching, as he continues to inspire young athletes in his spare time. Harold is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi, Fraternity, Inc. and a native of New Jersey who resides in Marietta, GA. He enjoys spending time with his wife, children, and dogs.
Paula Fontana
Vice President, Corporate Partner Development
As Vice President of Corporate Partner Development, Paula leads the team whose efforts are to drive revenue growth through sponsorship and fund development. Paula is responsible for creating and executing a Sponsorship Strategy that identifies and pursues candidate organizations, packages association assets for presentation to those organizations, and fulfills sponsorship agreements in support of the association’s mission.
Paula’s commitment to developing meaningful, intertwined with her passion for impacting and enriching lives provides the platform to make an impactful difference in serving National Black MBA Association® partners and members.
Paula’s commitment to developing meaningful, intertwined with her passion for impacting and enriching lives provides the platform to make an impactful difference in serving National Black MBA Association® partners and members.
Nyisha Hunt
Chief of Staff
Nyisha Hunt is the Chief of Staff at the National Black MBA Association (NBMBAA). In this role, she leads the CEO office, partners with the Executive team, and Board of Directors to drive key initiatives for the organization. Most recently, Nyisha was the Business Program Manager at Enboarder, where she drove all HR initiatives.
Nyisha is a strategic leader with over a decade of experience driving business forward within the executive offices of Nonprofit, Major League Sports, Entertainment, Beverage, Human Capital Management (HCM), Private Equity, and Venture Capital-backed startups. Nyisha has extensive experience in technology, human resources, marketing, and community relations. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Mass Communication/Media Studies from Marquette University.
Outside of work, Nyisha is a devoted wife, proud mom, and passionate coach. You'll often find her on a baseball or softball field, cheering on her two children. As someone who loves sports, she understands the power of teamwork, determination, and celebrating victories – both big and small.
H. BEECHER HICKS III
President & CEO
H. Beecher Hicks III is an accomplished executive with a background as an investment banker, private equity investor, working in the executive branch of government, and as an entrepreneur. A lifetime member of the National Black MBA Association (NBMBAA), Henry will assume the President and CEO role in October 2023.
Most recently he served as the President and CEO of the National Museum of African American Music (NMAAM) since 2013. During his tenure at NMAAM he completed a $60mm capital campaign, facilitated the museum design and construction, introduced public and school programming, and opened the iconic institution in January 2021, in the midst of the COVID19 pandemic.
Henry earned a bachelor of arts degree in marketing from Morehouse College and earned an MBA from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. He is a sought-after public speaker and writer, anticipating that his first book, Power in the Name, a story of family legacy, will be published in 2024.
Henry is husband to Crystal, a gifted elementary school teacher, and proud father to two grown sons.
Most recently he served as the President and CEO of the National Museum of African American Music (NMAAM) since 2013. During his tenure at NMAAM he completed a $60mm capital campaign, facilitated the museum design and construction, introduced public and school programming, and opened the iconic institution in January 2021, in the midst of the COVID19 pandemic.
Henry earned a bachelor of arts degree in marketing from Morehouse College and earned an MBA from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. He is a sought-after public speaker and writer, anticipating that his first book, Power in the Name, a story of family legacy, will be published in 2024.
Henry is husband to Crystal, a gifted elementary school teacher, and proud father to two grown sons.
Harold Reid
Vice President, Brand
Harold Reid is an accomplished brand and marketing executive with over two decades of experience working with global and multicultural agencies. As Vice President of Brand for the National Black MBA Association (NBMBAA), Harold leads the organization's strategic marketing, communications, and public relations initiatives. His expertise ensures the NBMBAA brand remains a leading voice for advancing economic and professional development for African Americans in business.
Throughout his career, Harold has demonstrated a passion for storytelling and empowering individuals and organizations to share their unique narratives. His strategic approach to brand building has resulted in impactful campaigns for executives, brands, and professional athletes, driving awareness and fostering positive change.
A proud graduate of a historically black college or university (HBCU), Harold is deeply committed to education and advancing opportunities for underrepresented communities. His background as a collegiate athlete in track and field further exemplifies his dedication to mentorship and coaching, as he continues to inspire young athletes in his spare time. Harold is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi, Fraternity, Inc. and a native of New Jersey who resides in Marietta, GA. He enjoys spending time with his wife, children, and dogs.
Dr. Tan Morales
Chief Learning Officer
Dr. Tan Morales brings two decades of leadership and learning in the areas of Change & Innovation, Talent and Leadership Development, and Data & Analytics as she spent many years in the Finance vertical prior to making the move to the Human Resources space. She currently serves on two corporate and one non-profit board advancing and amplifying the voices of the underserved. She is also Faculty for the Executive Leadership Council and an adjunct professor for Northeastern University’s Masters of Human Resource Management program. Dr. Tan holds a Doctorate in Leading Change and Innovation, Masters degrees and both Business and Psychology, and a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance/Accounting. Dr. Tan is passionate about aligning people and business strategy, enhancing innovation, and personal and professional development. She holds many internal and nationally recognized certifications including a Green Belt in Lean/Six Sigma methodology and a 2024 inductee into Who’s Who in America. She lives in the greater metro Atlanta area with her children, ages ten and four.
Kiana Cornish
Chief Development Officer
Kiana Cornish is the Chief Development Officer of the National Black MBA Association. She is responsible for the national headquarters annual fundraising plan, the corporate partner development team and leading the organization into its exciting Transform Campaign. Kiana’s entire professional career has been working in development, with more than twenty years as a senior fundraising executive. Kiana has worked for large national nonprofits focused on health and human services, and advocacy civil-rights organizations. Prior to joining NBMBAA, Kiana served as Chief Development Officer at Compassion & Choices and led all fundraising/advancement efforts within the strategic priorities of the organization. She also spent seven years as Vice President in corporate philanthropy and partnership building within the healthcare sector and has raised over $85 million in the course of her career. Kiana has a sincere passion for social justice issues and civil rights affairs. She has her Masters of Arts degree in Art History from Columbia University. She also holds a dual B.S. in Communications and Rhetorical Studies and African American Studies from Syracuse University. Kiana is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and a native of Southern California who currently resides in Dallas, Texas. In her free time, Kiana enjoys practicing yoga, cycling, hiking, traveling, wandering in art galleries, attending jazz and music festivals and spending time with her son.
Harold Reid
Vice President, Brand
Harold Reid is an accomplished brand and marketing executive with over two decades of experience working with global and multicultural agencies. As Vice President of Brand for the National Black MBA Association (NBMBAA), Harold leads the organization's strategic marketing, communications, and public relations initiatives. His expertise ensures the NBMBAA brand remains a leading voice for advancing economic and professional development for African Americans in business.
Throughout his career, Harold has demonstrated a passion for storytelling and empowering individuals and organizations to share their unique narratives. His strategic approach to brand building has resulted in impactful campaigns for executives, brands, and professional athletes, driving awareness and fostering positive change.
A proud graduate of a historically black college or university (HBCU), Harold is deeply committed to education and advancing opportunities for underrepresented communities. His background as a collegiate athlete in track and field further exemplifies his dedication to mentorship and coaching, as he continues to inspire young athletes in his spare time. Harold is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi, Fraternity, Inc. and a native of New Jersey who resides in Marietta, GA. He enjoys spending time with his wife, children, and dogs.
Elaine Richardson, CMP
Vice President, Conference and Operations
In her role as Vice President, Conference and Operations, Elaine is responsible for the event strategy, design, planning, logistics and execution for NBMBAA’s in-person events. She is the chief architect of the NBMBAA® Annual Conference and Exposition, where she also manages Career Expo exhibit sales and the NBMBAA® Job Board. In her role, Elaine is also responsible for NBMBAA’s membership department, with a focus on member growth and retention strategy. She also supports NBMBAA’s overall live events portfolio, including the NBMBAA Leaders of Tomorrow®, board and other meetings.
Elaine has served as the main planner for the NBNBAA® Annual Conference and Exposition as an outsource partner since 2016, and then as a staff member since 2021. She shepherded the association through the pandemic switch and drove execution on the organization’s first fully virtual Conference in 2020, as well as its first hybrid Conference in 2021. With more than 20 years of experience serving associations, Elaine’s relationship with NBMBAA goes back to 2007, when, as an outsource partner, she built the organization’s media strategy and led the relaunch of Black MBA Magazine. For the last 16 years, Elaine has supported NBMBAA’s events, and media/communications as a writer/editor, NBMBAA’s publisher and then as a business event strategist. She has served as a strategic advisor to the last seven organization CEOs.
Prior to joining NBMBAA full time, Elaine spent 17 years at Naylor Association Solutions, where she supported media and event needs for non-profit associations across the country, working for national association clients, including the National Association of Home Builders, Association of Old Crows, National Urban League and Intermodal Association of North America, among many others. An award-winning journalist, Elaine served as the publisher and editor of Black MBA Magazine for five years and as publisher and managing editor of the Journal of Electronic Defense for more than 10 years. She has also written for The Chicago Tribune, The Daily Southtown, Money and Print magazines.
A native of the Chicago area, Elaine received her Bachelor of Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She is currently an MBA candidate at the Quantic School of Business and Technology. She holds a Certified Meeting Planner (CMP) Designation issued by the Events Industry Council and is a member of the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) and Meeting Professionals International (MPI).
Elaine has served as the main planner for the NBNBAA® Annual Conference and Exposition as an outsource partner since 2016, and then as a staff member since 2021. She shepherded the association through the pandemic switch and drove execution on the organization’s first fully virtual Conference in 2020, as well as its first hybrid Conference in 2021. With more than 20 years of experience serving associations, Elaine’s relationship with NBMBAA goes back to 2007, when, as an outsource partner, she built the organization’s media strategy and led the relaunch of Black MBA Magazine. For the last 16 years, Elaine has supported NBMBAA’s events, and media/communications as a writer/editor, NBMBAA’s publisher and then as a business event strategist. She has served as a strategic advisor to the last seven organization CEOs.
Prior to joining NBMBAA full time, Elaine spent 17 years at Naylor Association Solutions, where she supported media and event needs for non-profit associations across the country, working for national association clients, including the National Association of Home Builders, Association of Old Crows, National Urban League and Intermodal Association of North America, among many others. An award-winning journalist, Elaine served as the publisher and editor of Black MBA Magazine for five years and as publisher and managing editor of the Journal of Electronic Defense for more than 10 years. She has also written for The Chicago Tribune, The Daily Southtown, Money and Print magazines.
A native of the Chicago area, Elaine received her Bachelor of Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She is currently an MBA candidate at the Quantic School of Business and Technology. She holds a Certified Meeting Planner (CMP) Designation issued by the Events Industry Council and is a member of the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) and Meeting Professionals International (MPI).
Paula Fontana
Vice President, Corporate Partner Development
As Vice President of Corporate Partner Development, Paula leads the team whose efforts are to drive revenue growth through sponsorship and fund development. Paula is responsible for creating and executing a Sponsorship Strategy that identifies and pursues candidate organizations, packages association assets for presentation to those organizations, and fulfills sponsorship agreements in support of the association’s mission.
Paula’s commitment to developing meaningful, intertwined with her passion for impacting and enriching lives provides the platform to make an impactful difference in serving National Black MBA Association® partners and members.
Paula’s commitment to developing meaningful, intertwined with her passion for impacting and enriching lives provides the platform to make an impactful difference in serving National Black MBA Association® partners and members.
Nyisha Hunt
Chief of Staff
Nyisha Hunt is the Chief of Staff at the National Black MBA Association (NBMBAA). In this role, she leads the CEO office, partners with the Executive team, and Board of Directors to drive key initiatives for the organization. Most recently, Nyisha was the Business Program Manager at Enboarder, where she drove all HR initiatives.
Nyisha is a strategic leader with over a decade of experience driving business forward within the executive offices of Nonprofit, Major League Sports, Entertainment, Beverage, Human Capital Management (HCM), Private Equity, and Venture Capital-backed startups. Nyisha has extensive experience in technology, human resources, marketing, and community relations. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Mass Communication/Media Studies from Marquette University.
Outside of work, Nyisha is a devoted wife, proud mom, and passionate coach. You'll often find her on a baseball or softball field, cheering on her two children. As someone who loves sports, she understands the power of teamwork, determination, and celebrating victories – both big and small.
