THE HBCU NETWORK:
Thanks for agreeing to this interview, Devon. Tell us a little about yourself.
Devon Williams:
I�m a native of Indianapolis, Indiana, but now I live in Nashville, Tennessee with
my wife, Meredith and our 2-� year old daughter, Cierra. I graduated from Western
Kentucky University with a Bachelor of Science in Therapeutic Recreation with a
minor in Psychology. I�m an active member of Kappa Alpha Psi, Hendersonville,
TN alumni chapter and I am the co-founder of Black Greek Network.
THE HBCU NETWORK:
What can you tell us about Black Greek Network?
Devon Williams:
Black Greek Network is an African American professional business
organization that encourages personal development through workshops,
newsletters, and seminar trainings. We are dedicated to helping black
fraternal organizations build their memberships by promoting their
agendas and increasing the awareness of their great works.
THE HBCU NETWORK:
When did you decide to become a full-time entrepreneur?
Devon Williams:
I became a full-time entrepreneur in Dec. of 2001 after being laid off from corporate
America. I was the Senior Recruiter for Cadence Design Systems, an electronic design
automation (software) company. I was working on Black Greek Network in the evenings
after completing my work for Cadence. But once I was laid off, I decided to devote
my effort's full time to Black Greek Network and grow the business.
THE HBCU NETWORK:
How did your wife feel about this?
Devon Williams:
She's behind me 100% for me to go full time with my business.
She's gives me total support and wants me to be happy. She is
hoping to one day start her own practice in speech therapy.
She currently works as a Speech Language Pathologist.
THE HBCU NETWORK:
From some of the books I�ve been reading, some people believe it may
be riskier to not have your own business - because you have no control
over how long a company will decide to keep you around. At least
with your own company, you control your destiny.
Devon Williams:
Exactly! You can't count on corporate America in today's times.
Before the attacks on Sept .11, the market was already shaky. After that,
it became even worse as companies started to lay off tens of thousands of
employees nationwide. Now I can devote 100% of my energy to Black Greek
Network and grow the business and control my own destiny.
People may ask - "When's the best time to start a business?" There's no best time;
you can spend forever thinking and talking about it. It came to a point when I
wanted to stop talking about it and actually go forward with starting a business.
Once you get started it becomes really contagious. My recommendation is to start a
business out of something you really like to do or where there's a need.
THE HBCU NETWORK:
Otis Collier is the other co-founder of Black Greek Network. When did
the two of you become partners?
Devon Williams:
Well, I met Otis in San Jose, CA in training with my former company Cadence Design
Systems. The company signed me up for AIRS recruiting training and Otis came highly
recommended as one of the qualified trainers for AIRS. So, before I went to
training, I just happened to be reading an issue of Black Enterprise
(I�m a faithful reader). And in the reader feedback session, I saw his
name and noticed that he�d made a comment on a previous article. I was like,
wow! Here's a guy like me and people are saying good things about him at Cadence.
He had trained our company previously and people at work were saying how good Otis
was when he trained their class. So, I sent him an email about the article in the
magazine and introduced myself. He emailed me back and confirmed he was training my
class in San Jose and would like to meet me then.
After the training, we went out to dinner and really connected. We didn't talk about
Black Greek Network until Jan. 2001, but there was a connection, and we just had a lot
in common. Otis and I have a great partnership and we feed off each other's strengths
and weaknesses. He plays a major role in content development and information
technology on the web site.
THE HBCU NETWORK:
With a name like Black Greek Network, it�s pretty obvious who your target audience is.
Devon Williams:
Yes, Black Greeks are our target audience, in addition to Prince Hall Masons,
Eastern Stars and Black professionals. Our organization is not exclusive to only
members of Black Greek letter organizations. We welcome everybody who is interested
in networking. We cover areas that everybody can benefit, such as career advice,
lifestyles and business tips.
THE HBCU NETWORK:
So, who influenced you the most to get your own business started?
Devon Williams:
My dad was a huge influence in starting my own business. He is someone I can
always turn to for guidance and support. My dad would always tell me to have
something in addition to your full time job. You never want to be so dependent
on your employer, because they will eventually let you down. Always have something
to fall back on that you can call your own. Your job can be taken away at any time
when you work for someone. I always remember those words and took him up on his
advice.
THE HBCU NETWORK:
Is that what you're going to teach your daughter, Cierra?
Devon Williams:
(Laughing) I am and in addition to the importance of a good education.
She's 2 �, full of energy and learning every day.
THE HBCU NETWORK:
As a graduate of Western Kentucky University, you're the first
non-HBCU entrepreneur we've featured. Do you think HBCUs are
still necessary to the Black community?
Devon Williams:
Yes, I do believe HBCUs are still necessary for the Black community. Not to take
anything away from my own college experience, but I see the closeness - especially
at Homecoming time, and I see the longevity of friendships. These colleges were
initially created, because it was the only avenues offered for Blacks who wanted a
higher education.
We have to keep the HBCU education alive because, without HBCUs, a lot of graduates
today wouldn't have had the opportunities that they had.
We have to make sure HBCUs continue to have strong funding and programs in place.
This allows HBCUs to attract and retain top-notch professors who are teaching our
young people. History shows that HBCUs have graduated some of the most influential
Black Americans that ever lived. We should do whatever it takes to continue the
legacy. I would like to see my daughter go to an HBCU.
THE HBCU NETWORK:
How have you marketed to your audience so far?
Devon Williams:
We've primarily used the Internet for our marketing - a lot of direct marketing to
other Greek web sites and personal homepages. We�ve contacted Greek chapters and
posted to Greek forums to get the word out. We approach black professionals in our
respective communities and colleges, to invite them to Black Greek Network.
THE HBCU NETWORK:
As an emerging business, where do you see your company 5 years from now?
Devon Williams:
We see Black Greek Network having physical communities across the United States
that are actively growing with professional people. We want Black Greek Network
to be the number one choice of networking among black professionals. We hope to
have a Foundation that provides scholarships for high school kids. We'd like to be a
25,000-member organization with strong alliances with corporate America. Finally, we
would like to hold a national convention that brings all of our members together.
THE HBCU NETWORK:
Well, Devon, that just about wraps this interview! Thank you so much for your time!
Devon Williams:
Thank you, I enjoyed it!
To learn more about Black Greek Network please visit us at: www.blackgreeknetwork.com
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