The Raleigh-Durham Chapter of the National Black MBA Association was formed in September 1989 after serving several months as an interim chapter.  On February 11, 1990, Raleigh-Durham was granted full chapter status in Atlanta, Ga. by the Board of Directors of the National organization. The Chapter was organized as a tax-exempt 501(c) 3 entity in November of 1994.

Our Chapter works judiciously to foster the intellectual and economic wealth of the Black community. We provide this access by creating innovative and relevant programming and initiatives in support of our Five Channels of Engagement:  Education, Career, Leadership, Entrepreneurship and Lifestyle. We continue striving to help our members connect with each other, our corporate/community network and others to change the course of their future.  Professional development, educational opportunities, networking and service to the community have been the hallmark of our organization for more than 30 years.

The organization is comprised of close to 300 members with graduate or undergraduate degrees who have experience in a multitude of disciplines including, but not limited to consulting, management, engineering, health care, supply chain management, technology, finance, retail, marketing, accounting, science and advertising. Our members are corporate professionals, academic scholars, as well as high school, undergraduate and graduate students.

Realizing that our strength lies in the measure of how much we give back to the community, we support our objective of increasing intellectual wealth by providing scholarships to graduate, undergraduate and high school students in the Triangle area.  The organization, to date, has distributed an estimated $120,000.00 in scholarship awards to deserving students.

In 2011, through the efforts of Mr. Brett Chambers, Past President, The LEADERS OF TOMORROW Program was implemented at the Raleigh-Durham Chapter. This program (LOT) is a youth mentoring program initiated at the national level in 1991.  It is designed for talented youth aspiring to leadership roles in professional fields.  It is a comprehensive programmatic approach tor providing leadership development to high school students.   The program is driven by mentoring across five developmental areas: Leadership, Financial Literacy, College Preparation, Career Preparation and Life Skills.  Since it’s inception, approx. 100 students have participated in the program.  Not only has this program been crucial to the development of these young leaders, but graduating high school seniors receive scholarship dollars to assist with college expenses.

Another component of this program is the annual ‘BUSINESS CASE COMPETITION’  where LOT students from other chapters across the country have an opportunity to compete for scholarships through business case analysis.  Our youth has been very successful in this initiative over the years. Most recently, they received a 2nd Place finish in 2021, a 1st Place finish in 2022 and multiple 3rd Place finishes between 2015 and 2017.

From a national perspective, the Raleigh-Durham Chapter is recognized as a highly productive Chapter.  In addition to the ‘Business Case Competition Awards noted above, we have received numerous other national awards of recognition including Chapter of the Year (2 years), LOT Program of the Year (2 years), Channel Awards for Career and Entrepreneurship, and having produced (2) National ‘MBA of the Year’ recipients.