The 2025 XCEL Summit For Men Continues To Honor Black Men And Give Them Their Flowers

The XCEL Summit For Men, formerly known as the Black Men XCEL Summit, has a history of celebrating Black men.

Since its launch in August 2017, the (BMX) Black Men XCEL Summit, now the XCEL Summit For Men, has become a signature event for BLACK ENTERPRISE. The summit’s focus is to celebrate and elevate the personal and professional accomplishments and growth of Black men.

A multi-day event, the XCEL Summit For Men is designed as a response to a growing need: Black men need spaces that go beyond boardrooms. Furthermore, the XCEL Summit For Men is a space where Black men receive their flowers and are poured into. A space that acknowledges the unique position of Black men striving for excellence. A space that champions and actively supports tangible professional growth.

The 2025 XCEL Summit kicked off Oct. 15 with a welcome reception hosted by Fidelity Investments and wrapped up with its much anticipated Award ceremony where the year’s honorees were awarded for their unwavering commitment to excellence. Honorees included the following: Troy Taylor: founder/ chairman & CEO of Coca-Cola Beverages; John Hope Bryant: founder/chairman & CEO of Operation HOPE, Inc. | Bryant Group Ventures LLC; George C. Fraser: founder of FraserNet Inc.; Rev. Dr. W. Franklyn Richardson: senior pastor of Grace Baptist Church; Larry Fitzgerald Jr: former NFL player, philanthropist and investor, head of Larry Fitzgerald Foundation; Robert Smith founder/chairman & CEO of Vista Equity Partners.

“Black Men XCEL is both a declaration and a quantum leap forward in the recognition of the achievements, leadership, and excellence of Black men,” BE President and CEO Earl “Butch” Graves once shared. “It is the perfect opportunity for Black men—and the women who love them—to indulge, celebrate, and enjoy themselves.”

The inaugural event featured esteemed Black men of excellence, including film director Robert Townsend, REVOLT Media Co-Founder Keith Clinkscales, and Emmy-winning broadcaster Ed Gordon, among others. Additionally, the late Rep. John Lewis received the first XCEL Award for Excellence and Leadership. Later honorees to receive the award, renamed the Earl G. Graves Vanguard Award, include T.D. Jakes, Kenneth Chenault, Tommie Smith, Jesse Jackson, Ben Crump, and Anthony Anderson, among others.

This year’s XCEL Summit For Men takes place Oct. 15-17, at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress Orlando. It comes at a time when attacks on Black professionals and executives are rising. Topics will include Black men’s mental health, the pressures of leadership, and what it takes to thrive in corporate and cultural spaces that are sometimes unwelcoming. There will be a host of networking and skill growth opportunities.

The XCEL Summit For Men remains a powerful gathering that fosters growth, celebration, and legacy-building, inside and outside the C-suite.

Check out day one photos: