howroyd_about

Janice Bryant Howroyd, fondly known as JBH, is the first African American woman to found and build a multi-billion dollar company. ActOne Group, a $3.4 billion (USD) workforce solutions organization operates in over 32 countries, engaging some of the world’s best technologies and systems to support organizations of all sizes provide jobs and careers for millions of workers across the globe.

Her technologies service over 50 languages, and she leads from a culture of humanity, discipline and excellence instilled by her parents. Growing up in a segregated educational system in the deep south, the values of DE&I, transparency, and accountability frame her leadership style, her public and media engagements, her charity and the culture of her organization.

Never compromise who you are personally to become who you wish to be professionally.

JBH is the recipient of numerous honors and awards, including Black Enterprise’s coveted 2022 Woman of the Year award. She was the first-ever BET Honors Entrepreneur of the Year. She has been a presidential appointee to several committees, including Barack Obama’s Presidential Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities, an appointment to the Federal Communications Commission’s Advisory Committee on Diversity and Digital Empowerment (ACDDE), and continues to serve on the ITAC 10(International Trade Advisory Committee - Professional Services). She is the newly elected Chair of the Women’s Leadership Board at Harvard University and supports inclusive programs for women and minorities as the first African American to gift $10 million to the University of Southern California, as well as millions to other institutions that include her Alma mater, the nation’s largest HBCU, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University.

She has guided the ActOne Group to a 2021 Silver Awarded Ecovadis Sustainable Corporation level and membership in the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), and is also the author of two #1 Amazon best-selling books: The Art of Work - How to Make Work, Work for You! and Acting Up: Winning in Business and Life Using Down-Home Wisdom.

JBH partners with some of the world’s best-known brands in business and academics to support education and business initiatives that advance diverse populations. She is a sought- after speaker at universities, national and international organizations, and corporations on the subjects of economic inclusion, personal and professional development, and entrepreneurship in a tech-fueled economy. She provides subject matter expertise on women’s issues, workforce and the economy, business and entrepreneurship, and network and digital media. She also has one of the most motivational social media presences across all social platforms. JBH uses her presence as an innovator and as a connector for humanity, saying, “Never compromise who you are personally to become who you wish to be professionally!

Recent Press

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Meet Janice Bryant Howroyd, the first African American woman to run a $1-billion business

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Act 1 Group Named One of Fastest Growing Women-Owned Businesses

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It’s Not What They Call You, It’s What You Answer To

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President Obama Appoints Janice Bryant Howroyd, ACT-1 Group CEO, to Key Administration Post

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#39 in Forbes America’s Self-Made Women List

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How to Create Your Own Dream Job

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How Janice Bryant Howroyd turned a $900 loan from her mom into a billion-dollar business

How I built this

NPR: How I Built This

Press Kit