Ariel Alternatives

We’re excited to share the Project Black story with you. Swipe to learn more. https://lnkd.in/eS6kBC3E #ShareAriel #alternativeinvestments #privateequity

Congratulations are in order for Emma Rodriguez-Ayala, Ariel’s Chief Administrative Officer and General Counsel, and Carlos E. Calderon, Ariel’s Chief Financial Officer, who have both been named Crain's Chicago Business Notable Latino Leaders.   A proud native of Puerto Rico, Emma’s promotion to CAO has expanded her leadership to the firm’s operations team, technology team and beyond. Carlos has played an integral role on Ariel Alternatives’ valuation committee, helping to evaluate prospective #ProjectBlack portfolio companies.   Read their features here: *Emma Rodriguez-Ayala: https://lnkd.in/e5QPRc_D *Carlos Calderon: https://lnkd.in/eWF2s5J9   #ShareAriel

Fortune named Ariel Alternatives Co-Founder Mellody Hobson to its inaugural 100 Most Powerful People in Business list. A fierce advocate for investment excellence, financial literacy and addressing the nation’s racial wealth gap, we are proud to have Mellody at the helm of Ariel after joining as an intern over 30 years ago. Congratulations to the inspirational leaders featured. Read the profile here: https://lnkd.in/eTTnRrKn #ShareAriel

We are pleased to welcome Vernon Irvin, our new Head of Go-To-Market and Value Creation. At Ariel, he will work across the broader Ariel Alternatives portfolio and partner with our deal teams to assist with investment due diligence. Joining us from his role as Co-CEO and Chief Revenue Officer at Everbridge, Inc., Vernon brings a passion for economic empowerment, literacy and mentoring the next generation of entrepreneurs. #ShareAriel 

Congratulations to Ariel Alternatives Founder and CEO Leslie A. Brun, who has been named a Crain's New York Business Notable Black Leader. Under his leadership, Ariel Alternatives closed #ProjectBlack as one of the largest private equity funds for a first-time manager in history. He continues to lead a team executing on Project Black’s mission to scale minority-owned businesses to serve as suppliers-of-choice to Fortune 500 companies, driving economic equality from the entry level to the boardroom.   Read the feature here: https://lnkd.in/eTT2UEJX

Are you attending the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) Annual Conference & Exchange in Atlanta? We invite you to stop by booth 909 to learn more about our #ProjectBlack portfolio companies Sorenson Communications, CQ fluency and My Code, our parent company Ariel Investments, and to meet our teammates: *Vernon Irvin, Head of Go-To-Market and Value Creation (Alternatives) *Frantz Alphonse, Senior Managing Director (Alternatives) *Nikki Stokes Thompson, Chief of Staff (Alternatives) *Malik Murray, Head of Business Development (Investments) *Chris Gibson, VP of Institutional Marketing (Investments) *Elijah Scott, Senior Associate (Investments) And on Monday, October 21 at 10:30am ET, visit room A404-A405 to listen to the panel discussion, “Future Proofing Supplier Diversity,” with our new Head of Go-To-Market & Value Creation Vernon Irvin. See you there!   #ShareAriel

This #HispanicHeritageMonth, we want to spotlight three iconic publications within #ProjectBlack portfolio company My Code: El Diario, REMEZCLA and La Opinión.   Founded in 1913 in lower Manhattan, El Diario is the longest publishing Spanish-language daily newspaper in the United States. Having received recognition from the National Association of Hispanic Publications Inc (NAHP), this platform helps to preserve and celebrate the cultural traditions of the community through articles, events and special features. REMEZCLA is the most influential digital media brand for Latinx audiences in the U.S., covering lifestyle, culture and music. They are putting emerging Latinx culture on the map - operating as a digital publisher, creative agency and entertainment company. Meanwhile La Opinión is the nation’s #1 Spanish-language daily newspaper, reaching 20 million monthly readers worldwide. Talk about impact!   #ShareAriel

Ariel Alternatives Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer Leslie A. Brun spoke at this year’s SALT iConnections conference, highlighting the importance of inclusive investing and the mission behind #ProjectBlack. Many thanks to co-panelist Roy Swan of the Ford Foundation, Greg Shell of Goldman Sachs and Taffi Ayodele of the Office of the New York City Comptroller Comptroller as well as moderator Dr.Mekala Krishnan of McKinsey & Company. #ShareAriel   

Ariel Alternatives Chief of Staff Nikki Stokes Thompson joined a panel hosted by Silicon Valley Bank, discussing the current state and future of the innovation and buyout economy. She spoke to the unique challenges facing minority-owned businesses and how funds like #ProjectBlack can support their growth. Many thanks to co-panelists Wemimo Abbey of Esusu, Brian Brackeen of Lightship Capital, and Renae Griffin of GCM Grosvenor for the fruitful conversation, as well as SVB’s Tosh E. for moderating.   #ShareAriel 

We are delighted to welcome three new teammates to Ariel Alternatives, where they will be evaluating new investment opportunities and managing existing portfolio companies as a part of the investment team.    * Senior Associate Herb Belton III, a proud alum of Howard University, brings investment experience from JP Morgan, Stellax Capital Management and AltFinance, where he worked to offer HBCU students a pipeline to careers in the alternative investment industry.   * Senior Associate Mallet Njonkem, an alum of Yale University, brings investment and private equity experience from Kohlberg & Company, Thomas H. Lee Partners and UBS. * Analyst Rohan Mathur, an alum of University of Chicago, is returning from his summer internship experience at the firm. He will support the investment team with deal sourcing, execution, and portfolio management.