October 24, 2025
With a lineup of renowned speakers, including prominent CEOs and changemakers, the XCEL Summit for Men focused on empowering men with the tools and knowledge to excel in both business and personal development.
The Black Enterprise XCEL Summit for Men, held this October in Orlando, Florida, gathered a powerful network of Black professionals, entrepreneurs, and leaders for a weekend of inspiration, growth, and community. With a lineup of renowned speakers, including prominent CEOs and changemakers, the XCEL summit focused on empowering men with the tools and knowledge to excel in both business and personal development. Key discussions focused on overcoming barriers to success, achieving financial independence, and leading in today’s evolving industries. Attendees participated in hands-on workshops, strategic networking sessions, and transformative panels that emphasized Black Enterprise’s commitment to fostering economic advancement and leadership within the Black community. Below are the top 5 inspirational quotes from the summit’s headlining speakers.
John Hope Bryant, Founder, Chairman & CEO, Operation HOPE, Inc. | Bryant Group Ventures LLC
“I consider myself an economic plumber for the Black community. I’m just creating the infrastructure. I have 1,500 offices right now. My goal is, by 2028, is 15,000 offices. I’m going to layer financial literacy, which I have now, put AI literacy on top of that, and create future literacy. I consider myself the economic plumber. I want to be the Starbucks of financial inclusion, the Walmart of economic empowerment. I figured raising credit scores was an easy, neutral mechanism that no one could interrupt, and you have complete control over.”
Troy Taylor, Founder, Chairman & CEO, Coca-Cola Beverages Florida
“This is our country; don’t forget that. Don’t let anybody tell you any differently. This is our country. The first thing that this country did, from an export standpoint, was agriculture. That’s us. Built Washington, D. C.; built the South; built a whole lot of things. That’s what we must celebrate. As we go into next year, we celebrate America 250. Sometimes there are whispers about, well, how will Black America celebrate America 250? I’ll say this: I think we should do an awesome job celebrating America 250. America wouldn’t be America without us.”
Rev. Dr. W. Franklyn Richardson, Senior Pastor, Grace Baptist Church
“We need in the Black community; we need people who go from generation to generation. It is not enough for us just simply to have a winning day in our individual lives. We must pass it on to the next generation.”
Blair Underwood, Award-winning American Actor, Director, Producer
“Greatness, when I think about that, I go back to one of my all-time favorite speeches of anybody: it was Dr. Martin Luther King and his speech, it’s called the Drum Major Instinct. And in that speech, he talks about how we all want to be the drum major. And what does that mean? That instinct to want to be in front of the band, leading the band, marching high, and just like a peacock, being proud, the drum major. But the instinct of the drum major is to be out front and to be seen. And that can be bastardized. That can be a negative thing. But he said, if you use it right, it can be a wonderful thing. And how you use it is, I mean, that great line, it said, everyone can be great, the greatest of all time.” Anyone and everyone can be great if you service other people.”
Dr. George C. Fraser, Founder, FraserNet Inc.
“Leaders are the foundation. A house cannot stand without a strong foundation. It could stand with a leaky roof on top, but it can’t stand with a weak foundation. It will collapse. Leaders are the foundation. They’re the foundation of the vision, the goals, the objectives of everything above them. Their job is to cultivate, nurture, and prepare their team, their family, to get to the top.”
RELATED CONTENT: XCEL Summit For Men Gives Guys Their Flowers
