5 Things You May Not Know About Chris Spencer, 2026 Host Of BLACK ENTERPRISE’s XCEL Summit For Men
Here are five things you may not know about this year's XCEL Summit host.
Comedian, actor, writer, and producer Chris Spencer has spent more than three decades making audiences laugh while building an influential career behind the scenes in Hollywood. Now, the entertainment veteran is bringing his signature humor and industry experience to the 2026 BLACK ENTERPRISE XCEL Summit for Men.
Spencer will host the Barbershop Debate and the XCEL Impact Awards Luncheon during the Summit, scheduled for Oct. 21-23 at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress in Orlando, Florida. The event, celebrating its 10th anniversary, brings together Black executives, entrepreneurs, and emerging leaders for professional development, networking, and conversations about leadership and economic empowerment.
While Spencer is widely recognized for his comedic talents, his contributions to television, film, and entertainment entrepreneurship extend well beyond the spotlight. Here are five things you may not know about this year’s XCEL Summit host.
1. He helped create Kevin Hart’s hit series “Real Husbands of Hollywood.”
Spencer co-created and executive-produced BET’s Real Husbands of Hollywood, starring Kevin Hart. The comedy originated from a sketch developed for the BET Awards that parodied reality television franchises. Its success led to a full television series in 2013, further establishing Spencer as a creative force behind the camera.
2. He was the first host of Vibe.
Before becoming a major television producer, Spencer made history as the original host of Vibe, the late-night talk show associated with the influential hip-hop magazine. The role in 1997 introduced him to a broader audience and demonstrated his ability to connect entertainment, comedy, and Black culture.
3. The Wayans family helped launch his Hollywood career.
Spencer credits the Wayans family with opening doors early in his career. He toured with Damon Wayans, collaborated with Shawn Wayans on a book, and appeared in several Wayans family films, including Blankman and Don’t Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood. Those opportunities helped establish his presence in Hollywood.
4. His writing credits include some of entertainment’s biggest award shows.
Spencer’s comedic influence extends to major television productions, including the Emmy Awards, BET Awards, ESPY Awards, and MTV Video Music Awards. He has also contributed to scripted television, including “Grown-ish,” demonstrating his versatility across entertainment formats.
5. He expanded his career into film directing.
Chris Spencer made another significant career move by directing the 2023 comedy Back on the Strip, while also writing and producing. His transition into directing reflects a broader commitment to creative ownership and building opportunities beyond performing.
Spencer’s career embodies the entrepreneurial spirit at the center of the XCEL Summit for Men, highlighting how creativity, collaboration, and business ownership can create lasting opportunities in entertainment.
Druski Secures Equity Stake In ‘GoPuff’ With Multiyear Partnership
Under the agreement, Druski will collaborate with Gopuff to launch exclusive products and create consumer experiences inspired by his creative projects.
Comedian and entrepreneur Druski is expanding his business portfolio after acquiring an equity stake in delivery platform Gopuff through a multiyear strategic partnership that will allow him to develop exclusive products and experiences for consumers, according to the company.
The company announced the agreement on Oct. 9, marking another step in Druski’s efforts to turn his entertainment success into business ownership. The deal’s financial terms, including the size of his equity stake, were not disclosed.
Under the agreement, Druski will collaborate with Gopuff to launch exclusive products and create consumer experiences inspired by his creative projects. The partnership will also incorporate his entertainment ventures, Coulda Been Records and 4Lifers Entertainment, to expand the company’s audience and reach.
The collaboration gives Druski an ownership interest in the company while providing access to Gopuff’s product development, merchandising, and distribution infrastructure.
“Gopuff has always been my go-to platform, so partnering together felt like a natural next fit,” Druski said in a statement.
Gopuff Co-Founder and Co-CEO Yakir Gola said the agreement will combine Druski’s creative influence with the company’s ability to bring products directly to consumers.
“We see this as a true creative and commercial partnership,” Gola said.
The agreement builds on an existing relationship between Druski and Gopuff. The comedian previously joined NFL legend Tom Brady in the company’s “HARD PASS” campaign, which advocated making the Monday after the Super Bowl a national holiday.
Druski joins a roster of Gopuff celebrity partners that includes Brady, NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo, and professional soccer player Cole Palmer.
Unlike a traditional endorsement agreement, the partnership gives Druski a financial stake in the company, although Gopuff has not disclosed details about his ownership rights.
The move reflects a broader business strategy among entertainers seeking to capitalize on their intellectual property and audiences through equity ownership rather than relying solely on sponsorship revenue.
Michael Jackson’s Iconic ‘Thriller’ Jacket And Glove Head To Auction
Among the featured items is Jackson’s red-and-black leather jacket from the “Thriller” music video.
Michael Jackson’s red leather jacket from his 1983 “Thriller” music video and the rhinestone-covered glove he wore during his first televised moonwalk are heading to auction in December, offering collectors an opportunity to purchase memorabilia tied to two defining moments in the King of Pop’s career, Complex reports.
Julien’s Auctions announced Oct. 7 that four pieces from Jackson’s 1983 performances will headline its Michael Jackson: The Fashion Legacy Evening Auction on Dec. 7 at Rosewood Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.
Among the featured items is Jackson’s red-and-black leather jacket from the “Thriller” music video. Designed by Deborah Nadoolman Landis, the jacket is one of two created for the production and became a signature piece of Jackson’s wardrobe.
The auction will also feature the rhinestone-studded glove Jackson wore during his performance of “Billie Jean” on the television special Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever. The performance, broadcast in May 1983, introduced his moonwalk to a national television audience.
According to Julien’s Auctions, the glove is expected to sell for $600,000 to $800,000. It previously sold for $430,000 in 2009, setting an auction record at the time.
Two pairs of Jackson’s black loafers will also be available, including shoes worn during filming of “Thriller” and another pair used during rehearsals for his Motown performance. The rehearsal shoes are estimated to sell for $60,000 to $80,000.
“Each one carries a moment that changed pop culture forever, and we’re honored to offer them again,” said Martin Nolan, co-founder and executive director of Julien’s Auctions.
The collection was unveiled in Los Angeles on Oct. 7 ahead of international previews in Japan, Bahrain, and Abu Dhabi.
The items are also scheduled to appear Oct. 24 at “This Is Thriller,” an annual event organized by Jackson’s son, Prince Jackson, through his Heal Los Angeles Foundation. The event will take place at the Palace Theatre in downtown Los Angeles, where portions of the “Thriller” music video were filmed.
The upcoming sale highlights the continued demand for Jackson’s memorabilia nearly two decades after his death, with collectors willing to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for items connected to his career.
These Black Authors Wrote Books About Their Breast Cancer Experience
This list gathers stories of survival
There’s no denying that breast cancer is quite the journey for countless individuals; however, Black women across the diaspora confront especially stark disparities in care and experience. They are diagnosed later; the tumors are frequently more aggressive, and the outcomes are consequently poorer. Books written by Black authors frame the hurdles and offer insight grounded in lived experience. This 11‑book list gathers stories of survival and resilience, delivers practical knowledge, critiques inequities, and points toward pathways of hope.
The Cancer Journals
Audre Lorde’s The Cancer Journals collects a series of essays and diary fragments that trace her experience of a mastectomy. In the work, the writer and activist unpacks illness, identity, and mortality. Drawing on the intimacy of her home, the starkness of hospital rooms, and the topical issues of the United States, Lorde stakes a claim for self‑determination within the narratives of sickness.
The Black Woman’s Breast Cancer Survival Guide: Understanding and Healing in the Face of a Nationwide Crisis
Cheryl D. Holloway, both a cancer researcher and a survivor, writes a book that translates the maze of screening protocols, treatment pathways, and survivorship strategies into language for women confronting breast cancer. The guide delves into the risks, disparities, and unique needs that Black women face within the U.S. healthcare and community landscapes, where referrals often arrive too late, screenings occur less frequently, and outcomes tend to be poorer.
Black Women and Breast Cancer: A Cultural Theology
In the 2018 book “Black Women and Breast Cancer: A Cultural Theology,” public health scholar Elizabeth A. Williams probes how Black women ascribe meaning to breast cancer through the intertwined lenses of faith, community, and identity. The work reveals how spiritual frameworks become woven into coping strategies, acts of resistance, healing journeys, and survivorship narratives, all set against the backdrop of health disparities.
Health, Communication and Breast Cancer among Black Women: Culture, Identity, Spirituality, and Strength
Annette D. Madlock Gatison’s “Health, Communication and Breast Cancer, among Black Women: Culture, Identity, Spirituality and Strength” probes how Black women discuss breast cancer, tracing the interplay of discourse, self‑definition, and the “strong woman” narrative. The analysis shows that the communicative tactics women employ shape their agency, confront stigma, and negotiate identity throughout their cancer journeys, areas where mainstream health messaging often falls short by overlooking influences. Conducted between 2016 and 2018, the study unfolded in U.S. healthcare environments within Black women’s communities.
This Is Only A Test: What Breast Cancer Taught Me about Faith, Love, Hair, and Business
Chris‑Tia Donaldson’s memoir, This Is Only A Test, draws from her roles as entrepreneur and breast‑cancer survivor, charting a raw, unfiltered trek through treatment, faith, the grind of running a business, shifting self‑image, and the stark reality of hair loss. First issued in 2019, the book strives to lift the veil of stigma that still clings to cancer while illustrating how a Black woman can cling to her identity, chase professional ambitions, nurture relationships, and stay anchored in faith throughout diagnosis and the long road to recovery.
Dig In Your Heels: The Glamorous (and Not So Glamorous) Life of a Young Breast Cancer Survivor
“Dig In Your Heels: The Glamorous (and Not Glamorous) Life of a Young Breast Cancer Survivor,” by Karla Antoinette Baptiste, reads like an unfiltered diary of what it feels like to emerge from breast cancer treatment in one’s 30s. Baptiste, a survivor, writer, and unapologetic truth‑teller, lays bare the mix of hope and hardship that defines her post‑diagnosis world from the wrenching questions around fertility and the shifting relationship with her body to the relentless juggle of building a career. Published in 2015, the memoir deliberately shines a light on a demographic often left in the shadows: Black women confronting cancer early in life, thereby plugging a glaring void in survivorship narratives.
Surviving Paris: A Memoir of Healing in the City of Light
Journalist and two‑time breast cancer survivor Robin Allison Davis chronicles her relocation to Paris during the unsettling reality of a breast cancer diagnosis while living abroad. Published in September 2025, the memoir probes how the city’s geography, its healthcare system, the loneliness of exile, and the nuances of cultural identity intertwine in shaping a woman’s cancer journey from home.
The Little Black Book: What Every Black Woman Needs to Know About Breast Cancer
Jackie Johnson’s The Little Black Book: Breast Cancer Awareness, Prevention, Risk and Advocacy, for Black Women serves as a purpose‑crafted text for women, sharing early‑detection cues, preventive tactics, personal risk appraisal, and avenues for engagement. The work was first published in 2012. By zeroing in on the risk factors Black women face, it equips them with actionable guidance, something most awareness materials overlook by remaining overly generic.
Celebrating Life: African American Women Speak Out About Breast Cancer
“Celebrating Life: African American Women Speak Out About Breast Cancer” is an anthology that gathers a chorus of testimonies, reflections, and coping tactics from 62 Black breast‑cancer survivors across the United States. The collection, issued in the mid‑2000s, unfolds a mosaic of experiences from women spanning a range of backgrounds. It underscores how cancer experiences shift with class, access to resources, faith, and community support amplifying voices and reminding that the disease is anything but an experience.
The Terrible Stories
After a breast cancer diagnosis, the celebrated African American poet Lucille Clifton assembled the collection The Terrible Stories, which appeared in 1996. In its pages, Clifton maps the terrain of suffering, offering a charged, aesthetically rich view of illness as felt by a Black woman. Lament, memory, and the stubborn act of survival become the poems’ witnesses, silently bearing testimony to her experience.
Folake Ibe, a 37-year-old first-generation Nigerian American and mom of three, opened her first Mathnasium franchise in Clinton, Maryland. Folake came to the US in 2005, met her husband in college, and started a family in the DC area. She discovered Mathnasium as a parent when her oldest daughter, who was struggling with math anxiety in third grade, enrolled and thrived. When a move to a new home put the nearest center 30 minutes away, Folake searched for comparable options but found nothing nearby. This put Folake on the path to becoming a Mathnasium franchise owner.
Mathnasium is a math-only learning center that utilizes proprietary teaching methods to help children catch up and get ahead in math education while making learning fun and engaging. Folake opened her Clinton location in September 2025 with 25 students. The business broke even within two months and, just one year later, tripled enrollment. While these numbers are impressive, Folake is less focused on sales revenue.
“I came into this business with a very practical hope: I did not want to be in the red. I watched the finances, of course, but I believed the way to build a healthy business was to focus on the value we were giving families,” Folake shared with BLACK ENTERPRISE. “I also leaned into one of my strengths: studying the environment around me. I took time to understand our families, our schools, and the educational needs in our area. I built connections and listened closely to what parents were looking for.”
Folake also decided to handle every new student assessment personally, which has contributed greatly to her center’s success.
“I was especially intentional about the assessment experience. Whenever possible, I want parents to see how their child approaches math, so our conversation is grounded in what we observed together. We can recognize the child’s strengths, identify where they need support, set goals, and talk honestly about what consistent attendance and progress will require.”
Folake’s involvement in the assessment process lets her have the first real conversation with each family, giving her a chance to listen to the parent, meet the student, and set the tone for the care they should expect from her center. It also helps her connect with parents, and Folake can share her own story of how Mathnasium helped her daughter.
Perhaps what makes her franchise’s success even more remarkable is that Folake maintains her full-time position on Capitol Hill in information system security management — a career she’s held for 15 years. She credits an incredible support system for helping her manage it all.
“It is no small feat! My mother is a tremendous help to our family. We have reliable childcare, and my husband is my greatest supporter. While balancing his own career, he believes deeply in the vision for the business and moves mountains to help keep everything running on all fronts; I honestly couldn’t do this without him. My full-time job is demanding, but its hybrid schedule gives me flexibility that helps me manage both.”
Folake says that keeping her career was a deliberate decision because she loves the work but also didn’t want to put pressure on the center to provide the family’s income right away. This allowed her to concentrate on building a business that serves families well.
“I have also had to build a center that can function when I am at my other job or with my family. We train staff continuously, hold huddles and team meetings, review student progress, and adjust our processes when something is not working. I learn from my mentor and other Mathnasium owners, while remembering that what works in one community may need to be adapted for ours.”
As for building a legacy through Mathnasium ownership and community impact, Folake wants families to think of Mathnasium of Clinton as more than a place to get better at math—as a community they didn’t know they needed. She saw an opportunity to build something special for families in southern Prince George’s County and wants every child who walks through the doors to feel seen, whether they are working through a difficult skill or celebrating one they finally understand. For her family, she hopes the business shows them they can build something that supports their family and contributes to their community. It seems to be resonating, as her oldest daughter, the student who once struggled with math, now works at the center part-time as a junior math coach.
At a NordVPN promotional event in New York City’s Times Square, O’Neal opened up about being targeted in a scam involving people who claimed they were handling a home purchase. The experience prompted the entrepreneur and investor to take digital security more seriously — and to use his partnership with NordVPN to encourage everyday consumers to protect their personal information.
“I was hacked for the first time, not a bad hack, and I didn’t know what to do,” O’Neal said, according to Wired. “So I had to look into it. Once that happened, I really had to start paying more attention, because I would think nothing like that could ever happen to me, but it could happen to anybody.”
That message is particularly relevant for entrepreneurs and professionals whose businesses increasingly depend on digital platforms, cloud services, and connected devices. O’Neal said his goal is to help make cybersecurity awareness less intimidating for regular people.
“Everybody needs to have control of their own information,” he said.
Despite his celebrity status, O’Neal said he tries to maintain a relatively normal lifestyle and doesn’t let security concerns dominate his thinking. Still, he acknowledged that his profile means he has to remain vigilant.
“Yes, I think about it all the time, but I don’t let it consume me, because if you let it consume you, you can go crazy,” O’Neal said. “But you have to be able to have great reactionary skills if something happens.”
For NordVPN, the partnership reflects a broader effort to position cybersecurity as an everyday consumer issue rather than a concern reserved for tech professionals. The company offers VPN services alongside tools for antivirus protection, threat detection, and scam defense.
NordVPN Chief Technology Officer Marijus Briedis pointed to consumer education as a major challenge. “The weakest link is between the computer and the chair,” Briedis told WIRED, explaining that the company is focusing on education around digital threats.
Telfar Took Over Paris Fashion Week Without Leaving Brooklyn
The Black-owned fashion label staged its Spring/Summer 2027 runway show in New York while fashion insiders in Paris watched via livestream.
Telfar Clemens is once again challenging fashion’s traditional playbook, proving a designer doesn’t have to follow the industry’s rules to command its attention.
For his Spring/Summer 2027 collection, the founder of the independent fashion label Telfar invited industry insiders to Paris Fashion Week on Oct. 6, then staged the runway show in Brooklyn, New York. Roughly 300 guests gathered at Paris’ Théâtre Daunou expecting a conventional presentation. Instead, they watched the collection debut through a livestream from New York. Meanwhile, hundreds of customers in Brooklyn arrived expecting a sample sale and found themselves at the center of the fashion event, reports EBONY.
According to TheGrio, the production opened with a model whose runway walk was interrupted by a phone call from Clemens, who appeared on-screen from Brooklyn before launching the show. The move turned a traditional fashion presentation into a real-time demonstration of the brand’s connection to its audience.
The Spring/Summer 2027 collection also highlighted Clemens’ effort to expand the label’s identity beyond its signature Shopping Bag, an accessory that has become a cultural mainstay.
According to Vogue, Clemens presented tailored suits, deconstructed garments, animal prints, jersey separates, and accessories that reworked familiar silhouettes. The collection included jackets and shorts with exposed linings, textured sportswear, and chain-trimmed pieces that referenced the handles of the brand’s popular bags. He described his vision as a more “mature” direction for the brand while highlighting its more than two decades in business.
Following the Brooklyn presentation, Telfar held a sample sale that let customers exchange older bags for a new bag or clothing as part of their Bag Redemption program. Instead of centering the experience exclusively on editors, buyers, and industry insiders, Telfar made its consumer community part of the main event. The strategy reflects the label’s long-standing emphasis on accessibility and independence. Rather than treating Paris as the only stage that matters, Clemens used the global fashion calendar to spotlight the New York audience that has supported his business.
Black Consumers Drive Fragrance Sales. Now HBCUs Are Helping Build The Industry
As fragrance sales surge, a pipeline launched at Spelman College is working to put more Black talent in the rooms where the industry’s biggest decisions are made.
Black consumers have long been among fragrance’s most committed customers. Now, an HBCU-focused career pipeline is working to ensure they have a bigger hand in shaping the multibillion-dollar industry behind the scents they buy.
U.S. prestige fragrance sales reached $5.9 billion during the first nine months of 2025, according to the Global Cosmetic Industry. Fragrance was also the fastest-growing category in mass-market beauty, climbing 17%. But sales tell only part of the story. Sharné Jackson, the first African American executive director of The Fragrance Foundation, wants to address who gets access to the careers, leadership positions, and entrepreneurial opportunities driving that growth.
For Jackson, that pointed to an industry awareness problem. “It was then that I saw a need for more education, representation, and access,” she told ESSENCE.
The opportunity is significant. A 2022 report from NPD Group, now part of Circana, found that more than 85% of Black and Hispanic consumers wear fragrance, compared with 78% of the overall U.S. population. More than 60% of consumers in both groups said they do not leave home without wearing fragrance.
Black entrepreneurs have also faced structural hurdles, including limited access to capital, retail shelf space, raw materials, and traditional European perfumery training. For aspiring professionals, Jackson says another barrier can be simply knowing that fragrance offers careers beyond working behind a retail counter.
“It’s not knowing what is out there,” she said.
Scents of Success aims to broaden that view by exposing students to opportunities in marketing, sales, product development, operations, management, and finance. The program has also expanded its educational efforts through Fragrance Escentials, an introductory online course designed to make the industry more accessible.
For entrepreneurs already building brands, the landscape is shifting, too. Chris Collins launched his Harlem-inspired fragrance company in 2018. Octavia Morgan’s namesake company became the first Black- and woman-owned prestige fragrance brand sold at Ulta Beauty, while Teri Johnson’s Harlem Perfume Company has expanded into retailers including Nordstrom and Bluemercury.
For Jackson, those milestones demonstrate what can happen when access expands.
“Seeing new brands in this space serves as an inspiration for others to see what’s possible,” she said.
The goal ultimately extends beyond getting students through the door. Jackson wants today’s participants to become tomorrow’s executives, founders, and mentors.
“We are planting seeds,” she said. “There is still a lot of work to be done.” And the broader objective is straightforward: “about building community.”
Veteran Corporate Exec Gale V. King To Be Honored At The ELC Recognition Gala
Gale V. King will receive The ELC’s 2026 Heritage Award, recognizing her more than 36 years of corporate leadership, board service, and community impact.
Gale V. King, a veteran corporate executive and longtime advocate for leadership development, will receive The Executive Leadership Council’s 2026 Alvaro L. Martins Heritage Award, recognizing a career spanning more than 36 years in business, corporate governance, and community service.
The award will be presented Oct. 30 at The ELC Recognition Gala held at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland. The honor comes as the organization celebrates its 40th anniversary and its longstanding work to expand opportunities for Black executives.
King previously served as executive vice president and chief administrative officer of Nationwide, where she oversaw human resources, corporate real estate, corporate security, aviation, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. In that role, she advised the company’s CEO, board, and executive leadership team on organizational culture, employee experience, and business performance.
“Gale has spent her career doing the work that lasts: building strong organizations, developing leaders and creating opportunities for others to rise,” said Michael C. Hyter, president and CEO of The Executive Leadership Council, in a statement. “Her leadership has touched companies, boardrooms, communities and The ELC itself. During our 40th anniversary year, it is especially meaningful to recognize someone who has given so much of her leadership to the institution and to the people coming behind her.”
The Executive Leadership Council (ELC) will honor Gale V. King, corporate director, former Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer of Nationwide, and former Chair of The ELC Board of Directors, with the 2026 Alvaro L. Martins Heritage Award.
The Heritage Award is named for Alvaro L. Martins, one of the ELC’s founding members and its first president and CEO. It recognizes individuals whose leadership and service have helped create opportunities for future generations of executives.
King, who received the Barbara Graves Legacy Award at the 2020 BLACK ENTERPRISE Women of Power Summit, chaired The ELC’s board of directors from 2022 to 2024. She currently serves on the boards of AutoZone and Unum Group, extending her influence across corporate governance and business leadership.
Her career also reflects a commitment to education and philanthropy. King established endowed scholarships at the University of Florida and Santa Fe College and supports initiatives in addressing homelessness and senior care. Her previous recognitions include the University of Florida Distinguished Alumna Award, YWCA Woman of Power, and National Urban League Woman of Power.
Founded in 1986, the ELC is marking four decades of developing executives and strengthening the pipeline of Black business leadership. Its programs span multiple career stages, from helping scholars prepare to enter the workforce to developing midcareer managers and preparing executives for corporate board service.
