2026 Black in Business Awards

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Felix Brandon Lloyd

Felix Brandon Lloyd is Co-founder and CEO of Joyful Reading Company. Originally founded as Zoobean, the company recently evolved into the Joyful Reading Company following its flagship product Beanstack’s acquisition of the digital reading platform Comics Plus. By combining boundless access to digital books and comics with proven motivational tools, the platform inspires lifelong reading habits in students, library patrons, and readers of all ages.

Prior to his career as an entrepreneur, Felix taught and served as Dean of Students at the SEED Public Charter School. During this time, he was named Washington, D.C.’s Teacher of the Year. In 2007, Felix received a fellowship from Echoing Green, a seed funder that supports the world’s most outstanding emerging social entrepreneurs and the organizations they launch. He founded Skill-Life, Inc.—a technology company that developed the MoneyIsland financial education software for kids. Skill-Life was acquired by BancVue, Ltd. in January 2010.

In April 2014, Felix and co-founder Jordan Bookey were featured on the ABC television show “Shark Tank,” through which they gained an investment from businessman Mark Cuban. The company has since gained significant growth capital and strategic investments from Kapor Capital, Amazon’s Alexa Fund, Riverside Acceleration Capital, Evoce Capital, Achieve Partners, and the AT&T Aspire Accelerator, among others. Its web and mobile app—which motivates people to read using proven gamification principles and new AI-powered engagement tools like “Book Talks with Benny”—is licensed by over 15,000 libraries and schools worldwide.

Felix earned a Bachelor of Arts from Syracuse University where he was the commencement student speaker. He also has a Master of Fine Arts in Fiction Writing from Washington University in Saint Louis where he was awarded a Chancellor’s Fellowship and more recently delivered the commencement address as an alumnus.

Ike Nwaneri

Ike Nwaneri was born in Nigeria and is a visionary marketing engineer and three-time award-winning marketer based in the United States. With over 20 years of experience leading creative and business strategies across seven countries, he has worked with major Fortune 100 companies including McDonald’s, BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, Renaissance Hotels, and State Farm Insurance. A graduate of Howard University and MIT Sloan School of Management, Ike has founded several innovative ventures such as Kojami, a global events platform with over 8 million users, and ZEND Health, a medical supplies marketplace launched during the COVID-19 pandemic. He is also the designer and patent holder of the KRUZR1 and KRUZR2 AI-powered robots used for sterilization and security in high-traffic environments. Today, Ike continues to drive innovation in the restaurant and hospitality industry through his leadership with Swahili Village and other ventures, while remaining dedicated to philanthropy and community impact in the U.S. and Africa.

Jeff Cherry

Jeff Cherry is the Founder and Executive Director of Conscious Venture Lab and Managing General Partner at Conscious Venture Partners, where he leads a movement to redefine capitalism as a force for good by aligning profit with purpose. With more than 35 years of experience as an entrepreneur, investor, CEO, and architect, Jeff has built and advised companies ranging from startups to Fortune 500 firms and government agencies. Through Conscious Venture Lab, he has mentored and invested in over 100 early-stage ventures, generating more than $82 million in enterprise value and nearly 400 jobs, with a strong focus on supporting women and minority founders. His work, anchored in conscious leadership, inclusion, and sustainable business growth, has made him a nationally respected voice in the impact investment community. As a leader within initiatives such as the James Beard Foundation and UpSurge Baltimore, Jeff continues to champion innovation ecosystems that create equitable access to opportunity and wealth. His mission is clear: to prove that business success and social good are not opposing goals but the foundation of a thriving and just economy.

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