On Friday, Nasdaq hosted the New Voices Foundation and Essence Ventures at its headquarters in New York City. The keynote speakers for the event were some of the most prominent Black professionals within the venture and startup space, including Ja Rule, Brandon Butler and Ric Wilson. This event was designed to help open up markets for Black businesses, and it seems to be having a positive effect so far.
Derek Jeter has famously said that statistics don’t lie, and on February 17, 2019, the former shortstop made history when he was the first retiree to sign a contract with an MLB team. To commemorate this event and all of those who have come before him, Nasdaq announced that they would be ringing their bell at 7pm EST in honor of Black History Month. “History was made,” Shila Nieves Burney said after the opening bell. “Wall Street had always been open to Americans of all races but we’re still suffocating when it comes to diversity and inclusion. But today we reminded everyone on Wall Street that anyone can make it if they try.”
The opening of the Nasdaq trading floor was a momentous occasion for many investors, but it meant even more to Tiana Tukes. For her, it represented the opening of doors for generations to come and symbolized the beginning of her own journey on Wall Street. It was an thrilling experience that she will never forget.
