One of the best ways to learn how to build wealth is by hearing directly from those who have already done so.

Hundreds of aspiring entrepreneurs had a chance to network and gain insights from experts at the 2022 Black Enterprise Entrepreneurs Summit - the nation’s largest annual gathering of Black business owners, entrepreneurs, founders, investors, and wealth creators. Hosted by Nationwide, this year’s summit included a panel of experts for a session entitled “Hustle Smarter, Not Harder: Unlocking the Gems to Building Wealth.”

During the conversation, the panelists covered a range of topics around wealth creation and offered some great takeaways for those in attendance:

Arian Simone – Co-founder/CEO of Fearless Fund
As an entrepreneur, philanthropist, investor and founder of a company that bridges the gap in venture capital funding for women of color, Arian counsels entrepreneurs to “identify the profile of investors and see who has racial equity as a priority.” Drawing from her personal practice, Arian also shared the factors that she assesses when considering investment:     

• What is your brand story?
• Do you have traction in the marketplace?
• How strong is your team?
• How good is your product?

Sevetri Wilson – Founder/CEO of Resilia and Solid Ground Innovations
At 22 years old, Sevetri bootstrapped her first company (Solid Ground Innovations) to millions with no capital. In 2017, she started her second company, a technology company (Resilia) for which she has raised over $1.5M in venture capital. She now uses her vast experience to empower other business owners and entrepreneurs from all backgrounds. In a takeaway that complements the advice of her co-panelist, Sevetri called on entrepreneurs to “be the investor you are looking for and make sure your cap table shows equity.”   

DeeDee Chadwick – Senior Director, Advanced Consulting Group for Nationwide
Did you know that life insurance, when owned by a company, can be leveraged for more than just death benefit protection?  DeeDee explained key person insurance and how it can be used as a “mechanism to accumulate cash, provide tax-deferred growth, and provide death benefit protection as well” for your business following the loss of a key employee.

To check out the full panel discussion, click here.

From its founding nearly 100 years ago by a small group of entrepreneurs with a unique and noble purpose, Nationwide has been supporting emerging and established business owners as they create legacies and give back to the communities where they live and work.

For a full suite of resources to help entrepreneurs grow and protect their business, visit Nationwide’s Business Solution Center.