Events
Annual Signature Event
The CBLF Signature Event brings together Black leaders and allies in celebration of Black professionals’ contributions to finance and diversity across the space.
Annual Signature Event 2025
Our 2025 Signature event featured Special Guest, Kimberly Johnson, Chief Operating Officer of T. Rowe Price, a global investment firm with $1.78 trillion in assets under management. A fireside chat with Kimberly was thoughtfully moderated by Nicole Pullen Ross, Region Head of Goldman Sachs’s Northeast Private Wealth Business and Head of Sports and Entertainment Solutions. Introductory remarks were provided by Milwood Hobbs, Jr., Managing Director, Global Private Credit at Oaktree Capital Management, L.P. The evening began with a networking reception and curated whiskey tasting featuring Uncle Nearest, Inc., a premium whiskey brand that honors the world’s first-known African American master distiller, Nathan "Nearest" Green. The evening also featured a gourmet dinner showcasing the vibrant southern and Italian-inspired flavors of Master Chef Tiffany Derry. Tiffany is founder of T2D Concepts, the Texas-based purpose-driven hospitality group behind Roots Chicken Shak and Roots Southern Table.
Annual Signature Event 2024
The 2024 Signature event featured Special Guest, Verdun (Vern) Perry, Global Head of Blackstone’s $82 billion Strategic Partners Group, one of the world’s largest secondary fund managers. The networking reception included a curated champagne tasting led by Marvina S. Robinson, founder of B. Stuyvesant Champagne - one of the few African American women to own a champagne brand. Dinner was catered by Chef JJ Johnson, a James Beard Award winner and author of Between Harlem and Heaven and The Simple Art of Rice, the latter being named one of the New York Times Best Cookbooks of 2023. Milwood Hobbs, Jr., Managing Director and Head of Sourcing & Origination at Oaktree moderated a Fireside chat with Vern.
Annual Signature Event 2023
Our 2023 Signature Event was a celebration of Black women in Finance. The event featured Special Guest, Thasunda Brown Duckett, President and CEO of TIAA. Dinner was catered by Guest Chef, Klancy Miller, co-founder of Red Rooster Harlem and author of “For the Culture: Phenomenal Black Women and Femmes in Food”. Melissa James, Vice Chairman, Morgan Stanley moderated a Fireside chat with Thasunda.
Annual Signature Event 2022
Our inaugural Signature Event in 2022 featured Special Guest, Frank Baker, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Siris Capital. Dinner was catered by chef Marcus Samuelsson, award-winning chef, restaurateur and author. Milwood Hobbs, Jr. Head of NA Sourcing & Origination, Oaktree moderated a fireside chat with Frank.
Annual NextGen Event
The CBLF NextGen event connects junior Black finance professionals to industry peers, senior Black finance professionals, and allies across the finance industry. The aim is to support their professional development and career advancement.
NextGen Event 2025
The 2025 NextGen event featured a panel discussion with Carlos Whitaker, Senior Managing Director with Blackstone Credit & Insurance; Chris Munro, Managing Director & Global Head of Leveraged Finance at Bank of America; and Yusef Kassim, Partner at Advent International. With nearly 100 junior professionals in attendance from firms like Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan, Bank of America, Morgan Stanley, Wells Fargo, and BlackRock, the event provided a unique opportunity for networking, learning, and community building.
NextGen Event 2024
The inaugural NextGen event in 2024 featured, Special Guest, Raymond J. McGuire, President, Lazard in a fireside chat moderated by Sean Legister, MD, BDT & MSD.
