
8 Reasons You Should Attend BLACK ENTERPRISE’s XCEL Summit For Men
The XCEL Summit For Men is taking over the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress Orlando. From Oct. 15-17, Black men in corporate America will gather for a weekend of growth, professional development and more.
BLACK ENTERPRISE will honor trailblazers in business and Black culture. Simultaneously, a bevy of workshops, panels, and fireside chats will take place.
The EXCEL Summit for men is structured to lift Black men in business by growing their personal and professional skillsets. As diversity equity and inclusion initiatives are stripped from corporate America, it is more important than ever to invest in self. Entrepreneurs, C-Suite executives and up-incoming businessmen serve to gain tactical and practical tools to thrive in office. If you want to know more, check out these eight reasons to attend the 2025 XCEL Summit For Men.
Panel discussions

Engage with professionals as they walk you through the steps to ascension in corporate. Furthermore, panels will explore the importance of seeking opportunity in traditionally Black spaces and money management.
Panel discussions include:
- Leveraging Your Performance Review for Career Success
- Get What You Deserve: How to Negotiate Your Compensation Package
- Started at the Bottom: From the Frontline to the Executive Suite
- Success is Academic: Career Opportunities at HBCUs
- Financial Planning: From Making Money to Making Your Money Work
XCEL Awards

Celebrate the achievements of trailblazers whose leadership and influence have paved a path for other Black men to follow. Honorees include Larry Fitzgerald Jr., philanthropist and investor Larry Fitzgerald Foundation; John Hope Bryant, CEO, Operation HOPE, Inc. Bryant Group Ventures LLC; George C. Fraser, founder, FraserNet Inc.; and Rev. Dr. Franklyn Richardson, chairman of the Conference of National Black Churches.
Executive coaching

Gain one-on-one guidance from top executives and seasoned professionals. These sessions are designed to help you develop leadership skills, navigate career paths, and create a strategic plan for personal and professional excellence.
AI In Corporate

Explore the future of work with sessions like A.I. at Work: Essential A.I. Tools for Busy Executives and How to Master AI for Career ROI. Learn how to leverage AI for career success, understand its impact on various industries, and stay ahead in an evolving digital world.
Cliff Wolery, head of portfolio marketing at Kapor Capital, will lend his expertise to the conversation as the featured speaker.
Social Awareness: Mobilizing For Progress

Ed Gordon, veteran journalist and 2024 Excel Honoree, will lead candid discussion on the future. The current government administration grows more aggressive in its resistance towards Black progress. As a result, political and economic leadership form the communities best and brightest needed. Gordon will helm the discussion, with George C. Fraser, as Black men set the agenda for themselves professionally, personally and politically.
Guest Speakers

David Banner has been confirmed as a guest speaker for the summit. The producer and activist has enjoyed an over two-decade career. The businessman is poised and ready to share his story and the lessons he’s learned along the way.
Mental Health

BLACK ENTERPRISE knows that health is wealth. In order to thrive and build generational wealth, physical and mental health must be tended to. The mortality rates for men due to self-harm are staggering. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “males make up 50% of the population but nearly 80% of suicides.” The mental health discussions are geared toward creating balance in a hectic world.
Networking: Cigar Bar

XCEL Summit For Men’s organizers acknowledge that all work and no play is not the best way. That’s why rest is built into the agenda. Take some downtime to explore Orlando or wind down in the afterhours Cigar Bar. If maximizing time is the goal, take the opportunity to network with other cigar aficionados.
The XCEL Summit For Men is an event that will leave the mind ripe with ideas, fill your professional toolbox full, and rejuvenate your mental and physical well-being . Visit the official event website for more information.
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