- Berry Gordy
- Brown Capital Management
- Inner City Broadcasting
- Clarence Smith
- Herman J. Russell
- Liberty Bank & Trust
- William G. Mays
- Rev. Jesse Jackson
- A.G. Gaston Lifetime Achievement Award
- Black Enterprise Entrepreneurs Conference
- Motown
- The Bartech Group
- The RLJ Companies
- Percy Sutton
- John H. Johnson
- A.G. Gaston
- Johnson Publishing Co.
- Barden Companies
- Don Barden
- Burrell Communications Group
- Robert L. Johnson
- H.J. Russell & Co.. Edward Lewis
- Uniworld Group Inc.
- Mays Chemiical Co.
- C.H. James II
- Brimmer & Co.
- Andrew Brimmer
- Alden McDonald
- Clarence Avant
- John Barfield
- Joan Johnson
- Pro-Line Corporation
- Comer J. Cottrell
- Thomas J. Burrell
- Essence Communications Inc.
- C.H. James Co.
- Soul Train
- George Johnson
- Byron Lewis
- Johnson Products Co.
- Ultra Sheen
- Afro Sheen
- Jesse Hill Jr.
- Eddie Brown
