Howard Buford understands the strong influence of multicultural Americans on the U.S. economy. After all, he's an African American and a successful business owner.
Buford has turned his deep personal knowledge of both into a thriving enterprise, forging a vital connection between corporate America and the African-American, Hispanic and LGBT communities.
"I founded Prime Access in 1990 when that year's census clearly showed the growing numbers and purchasing power of multicultural Americans," said Buford, who founded Prime Access after spending 10 years in advertising.
Prime Access, which has been certified as LGBT-owned by the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce®, is based in New York City and creates marketing communications for Hispanic, African American and LGBT consumers for Fortune 500 brands.
In 2008, Prime Access received an ANA Multicultural Advertising Award for Best African American Campaign for its work on the White House's National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign.
The impetus to get into business was different for Christopher Lane, who first jumped into nonprofit work before deciding to start his own company—both efforts were aimed at making a difference in the lives of young people. "I sought out [non-profit] organizations that did work that I could see was making a positive and direct impact on the lives of young people," Lane said.
Ten years later, Lane felt he was ready to start his own business—Washington, D.C.-based and NGLCC-certified 1Vision Solutions, which provides youth- and health-focused organizations with business management consulting services. Lane hopes to launch a non-profit arm of his company in his home state of Mississippi in the next three years.
In celebration of African American History Month, BIZ talked to Buford and Lane, asking them to discuss everything from the unique challenges they've faced as African-American LGBT business owners to how having an NGLCC certification has benefited their businesses.
BIZ: Had you always planned to go into business or did you have another career?
HB: My undergraduate studies focused on linguistics and psychology. I studied several foreign languages, and at one time I wanted to pursue a career based on those skills. I was also interested in psychiatry. Running a multicultural service business with ongoing client relationships, I feel like I'm doing both of those things.
CL: I thought of owning my own company, but never knew what to do and was not willing to take the risk. But after working with youth for more than 10 years, I felt that I had what it took to do it.
BIZ: Have you seen significant changes during the life of your business in the way African-American owners are treated or welcomed by the larger community?
CL: I am in my third year of business. I have not directly seen how being an African American business owner can have certain disadvantages. Certainly, the differences exist just as they do in larger society dealing with social and economic issues. I do know that color historically has and continues to be an issue that is addressed, good or bad, in our country. This is evident in the special certifications available to people of color and women, and it is also very evident in the executive corporate echelon, where very few people of color occupy positions of control and influence.
BIZ: Have you faced specific challenges being African American and a small business owner? How do those challenges compare to being an LGBT business owner?
HB: Both are challenging. The biggest difference between the two is that being African American is immediately identifiable upon first sight. But the challenge of each depends on whom you are dealing with and what their personal beliefs and biases are.
CL: I have certainly faced challenges as an African American. I grew up in rural Mississippi-a state that has quite the past in dealing with racism and discrimination. As a business owner, I feel that the limitations are specific to economics, which of course can be linked to America's history of dealing with racism and discrimination. My company is still in its infancy in some aspects, so I have not seen what those challenges specific to me being African American and a business owner look like. As my company grows, those challenges may or may not appear. I have heard stories of experiences of some colleagues, but have not faced those personally.
Being an LGBT business owner, I have had to really think about how to best market and brand my company. I do not want to limit myself to one particular market because the services my company provides are needed by all entities. This is certainly the stance I hold on my racial identity as well. While I fully embrace both my sexual and racial identities, those are simply parts of the whole of my company and me. Thus, I want to brand my company to the masses, and not be limited by race and sexual orientation.
BIZ: Has being a business owner who is both African American and LGBT presented any additional/different challenges for you? Explain.
HB: Straight, white males have historically dominated the American business world. In a service business, success depends on inspiring the trust and confidence of your clients. Since clients tend to trust people who are like them, the double difference of being African American and gay requires a lot more effort to gain client confidence.
CL: None that I know of. I am just more aware of the fact that I must work harder and be more focused to achieve the goals that I have in mind for my company, just as I have done all my life.
BIZ: Would you say that being an LGBT African American has worked as an asset for you as a business owner? (I.e., have you been presented with more business opportunities or been able to develop more community support) Explain.
HB: It has definitely not meant more business opportunity, even in the field of multicultural marketing. But when opportunity does arise, because of the multicultural focus of our business, it has translated into credibility.
CL: No! That has not been the case. While there are additional opportunities that are available, I still have to work twice as hard to obtain those opportunities.
BIZ: You are LGBT-certified business owners by the NGLCC. Do you have any other certifications for your business? If so, what kind of certification, and why did you decide to get that certification in addition to an NGLCC certification?
HB: Prime Access is also certified as minority-owned by the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC). Most large corporations rely on that certification to authenticate minority ownership.
CL: Yes, my company is a certified business enterprise with the District of Columbia. I am also seeking additional certifications such as 8(a) with the federal government and with the National Minority Supplier Diversity Council.
BIZ: How has/have your certification(s) benefited your business and your business opportunities?
HB: Certification is especially important to companies with strong multicultural employee groups or who hold large government contracts. These days, that seems to be nearly all the Fortune 100 companies.
CL: While my company is still very early in its growth and I received certification within the first year, I have not seen a benefit in the bottom line yet for my company. The certifications are definitely helpful in marketing my company appropriately to be competitive, but contract acquisitions, of course, are not guaranteed.
BIZ: Do you feel that the nation's current attitudes about race make it less challenging or more challenging to be an African-American business owner?
HB: As I mentioned, Prime Access has been around for 20 years, so having a track record and strong credentials and references is indispensable. But for people just starting out, I think it's just as difficult as when we started—probably even more so given the current economy.
CL: I do know that our nation's current attitude is somewhat divided and people are suffering economically, with African Americans struggling at record numbers compared to their white counterparts. While this is not unusual for our community, we have learned very well how to make the best in a dire situation. So faith, perseverance, patience and hard work continue to be those driving forces that I use on a daily basis as I strive to build a successful company in spite of what is continues to happen in our country regarding race. It is about dealing with something all of your life and on a daily basis, and in doing so you find and create ways to make the obstacles work in your favor regardless of what is expected of and from you.
BIZ: Do you think President Obama's election has significantly changed life for African Americans in this country? In what ways?
HB: I don't think it has significantly changed the everyday lives of African Americans. The greatest impact has been felt in community pride and in our youth, many of who feel greater self-esteem and see greater possibilities for themselves. There's no substitute for seeing someone who is like you, and who understands your reality, overcome obstacles and take charge.
CL: What President Obama's election has done for African Americans is affirmed what we knew all along, but other cultures did not know—that there are African-American men who are educated, family-oriented and who can be wordsmiths of the English language, as well as superb leaders and managers. Because there are so many negative depictions of black men in our country in the news, movies and other venues, many white Americans do not see men like President Obama on a daily basis. Therefore his assertion of eloquence and intelligence may not have seemed authentic to some, but I have seen men similar to him most of my life who simply chose a different path—doctors, business owners, coal mine workers, teachers, clerics, principals, college professors, who acquired the education and family values to be tax-paying and law-abiding citizens.
While his candidacy and election have given hope on many levels to not just African American boys and girls everywhere, but to boys and girls who grew up without their fathers, and children raised by their grandparents, which is a large trend in our country, regardless of their race, and it also speaks to what we think of mixed-race individuals in our country. It is clear that President Obama acknowledges his Caucasian heritage, but identifies as African American. This is because he is aware that his outer appearance is what would be seen first, rather than his white heritage. His presidency and election is most definitely historic, but this historic event must not encourage African Americans or any other racial or ethnic group in our country to believe that we are currently living in a post-racial society and that race is not an issue anymore. This should not be true until someone like President Obama can say that he is white and will not be judged for embracing his white heritage while still acknowledging his African-American heritage.
