Fireside Panel Discussion, (L-R) Darwin Brown, Dave Campbell, Tiffany Eubanks-Saunders, Carla Walker-Miller, Mark Wilson, (Credit: Marquise Photographer Michigan Chronicle)
The city of Detroit emerged as a national model for inclusive economic empowerment by launching a transformative two-part experience focused on ambition, unity, and generational wealth. Presented by Bank of America in partnership with The Michigan Chronicle, the landmark initiative brought together changemakers, entrepreneurs, and community leaders for deep engagement around building lasting legacies in Black and under-resourced communities.
The first installment, “Bridging Ambition and Wealth: A Networking Experience for Legacy Builders,” took place Wednesday evening, April 23, inside the historic Michigan Central Station, symbolizing Detroit’s revitalization and forward momentum. More than 200 attendees gathered for an intimate evening of inspiration, high-level networking, and powerful conversation.
At the heart of the event was keynote speaker Mark Wilson, a nationally celebrated entrepreneur, and author of the bestselling book The Remarkable Power of Us. In his address, Wilson challenged attendees to move beyond traditional metrics of success and instead focus on building collective prosperity.
“Take your phone out and take a selfie,” Wilson asked the audience before starting his keynote.
“Now, imagine that Bank of America just told me to let each one of you know that they’re going to invest a million dollars and deposit a million dollars into your bank account tomorrow. Imagine what that feeling is right now. Now take another selfie.”
Wilson’s message resonated deeply, particularly as the city of Detroit, where over 77% of residents identify as Black or African American, continues its journey toward economic inclusion. Despite Detroit’s rich history of Black entrepreneurship, systemic barriers remain: according to the Brookings Institution, only 2% of U.S. businesses are Black-owned, and Black families hold roughly one-tenth the wealth of white families on average.
“We are not waiting on a new reality. We are the new reality. We are the builders of bridges where walls once stood. We are the generation that refuses to be defined by limitation,” Wilson said.
Wilson urged attendees to rewrite that narrative by investing in each other and in the long-term development of their communities.
“Our strength comes from struggle. We’ve learned how to make $1 out of 15 cents and we’ve learned how to make a way out of no way,” Wilson said.
Following the keynote, attendees participated in a book signing and informal networking session, facilitated by curated conversation prompts and interactive exhibits. The energy in the room was electric.
Entrepreneurs shared ideas, nonprofit leaders brainstormed partnerships, and legacy builders from across industries found common ground.
Ed Siaje, president of Bank of America Detroit, highlighted the commitment to the future of general wealth.
“We’re proud to share our vision to connect with our community and with so many incredible organizations in helping to provide tools and support needed to build real generational wealth,” Siaje said.
“Legacy Builders is about celebrating the wealth of talent in the city and in investing in opportunities for Detroit’s future.”
Carla Walker-Miller, the founder and CEO of Walker-Miller Energy Services, is the first Black-owned company in Michigan to receive a B Corporation Certification and ranks among the largest waste reduction firms owned by African Americans and women in the nation. She shared a story about her parents being her family’s first entrepreneurs and how they paved the way for her family’s success.
“My dad had a day job, a night job and a weekend job. Creating that foundation was just work hard. My parents took our family from poverty to stability,” Walker-Miller said.
“I feel responsible to do that for my community, for anyone that I can impact positively.”
The momentum from Wednesday carried directly into Friday, April 25, with part two of the experience: “From Capital to Legacy: Unlocking Generational Success.
Held at the New Lab in Michigan Central Station , a state-of-the-art innovation hub, the workshop was designed to turn inspiration into action, offering attendees tactical insights into business growth, capital access, and long-term financial strategy.
The workshop featured a series of expert-led sessions, including:
- Securing Your Legacy: Succession Strategies for Businesses, which provided guidance on how to preserve and transition ownership across generations, a critical challenge as more than 60% of Black-owned businesses lack a documented succession plan, according to a 2024 Goldman Sachs report.
- Empowering Black Professionals to Build Wealth Through Real Estate, focused on property investment and equity building, particularly important given that homeownership remains one of the most significant drivers of intergenerational wealth, yet only 44% of Black Americans own homes compared to 74% of white Americans (U.S. Census Bureau, 2023).
- Crafting Your Investment Legacy, where attendees explored long-term strategies in stocks, retirement planning, and asset diversification to ensure that wealth outlasts the current generation.
In addition to the breakout sessions, participants were invited to the Bank of America Lounge, where private consultations with financial experts were available throughout the day. These one-on-one sessions helped attendees align their visions with realistic, personalized financial planning , a rare opportunity in a city where nearly 30% of residents are unbanked or underbanked, according to the Federal Reserve.
AAA Workshop: Securing Your Legacy: Succession Strategies for Businesses
Attendee Lazar Favors, business owner, CEO of Black Spirits Legacy LLC, producer of the Detroit Black Film Festival, Trinity International Film Festival, the Fearless Tribe Fanatic Film Festival, and The Collective Studios, was elated to participate in the workshops today. This is the energy and impact organizers had in mind.
“Today, it’s (about the) energy for me. We absorb great energy from great people. So it’s been great conversations all morning,” Favors said.
“We’ve been in business for quite some time and we’re finally in a space where we’re going to need and seek that financial advisory component that would take us and secure the things that we’re trying to do in our businesses to the next level.”
Generational wealth means different things to everyone. To Favors and his wife, it means being comfortable, building a lasting empire, and trusting the future family to carry the torch.
“It means making sure that my daughter’s kids, great, great grandkids are financially and knowledgeable,” Favors said.
“Building things that last, and last and last to a point where we (wife) can be on our island at 95 years old still enjoying one another like we do.”
BOA’s collaboration with The Michigan Chronicle, the oldest African American newspaper in Detroit, guaranteed that the event was firmly grounded in the community’s history and cultural significance.
“Poverty has never been just about money. The time is now for us to turn these lessons into tangible assets,” Wilson said.
As the last session concluded on Friday afternoon, many attendees stayed behind to continue conversations, share contact information, and commit to collaborative projects. It was a clear signal that this was more than a moment, it was the beginning of a movement.
With its bold vision, practical insights, and emphasis on legacy, Detroit’s two-part experience proved that change isn’t just possible, it’s already happening. One connection, one strategy, one legacy at a time.
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