Marcus Garvey (1887-1940) was a Jamaican born activist, publisher and entrepreneur. He founded the Universal Negro Improvement Association, advocating for the economic independence for black diaspora, starting in Jamaica. Recognizing that his work would have the best/most effective prospects if it included Black American participation, he expanded a chapter of his organization to Harlem, New York. His ideas laid the foundation for widely held theories on black group economic empowerment.

Maggie Lena Walker (1864-1934): Was born in Richmond, Virginia, to a formerly enslaved mother and an Irish immigrant father. She was the first Black woman to charter and serve as president of a bank in the US - the St. Luke Penny Savings Bank in 1903. She championed Black economic empowerment and women's rights.

Anthony Overton (1865-1957): Born into slavery in Monroe, Louisiana, he grew to become an economic giant in Chicago, Illinois. He built a Chicago-based empire that included a cosmetics firm, a bank; The Douglass National Bank, and an insurance company; The Victory Life Insurance Company.