Founders Feature
Q&A: Adrienne Lance Lucas, President at Lance Lucas & Associates, LLC
- In a few sentences tell us a little about your business — the clients you serve and the services you provide.
We are a management consulting firm serving nonprofits, medium size businesses. We provide strategy implementation and fundraising development services and specialize in service to Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
- Describe the moment you decided to start your business and what was the inspiration behind it?
I decided to start my business because personally I had strong for-profit management skills, and a passion for serving HBCUs. I served as the fundraising chair for my section at Harvard Business School, and for my Spelman College reunion. Raising money for those organizations and applying my skills to assist others helped me to meet the mission of my classes and I enjoyed the accomplishment.
- All great businesses, at their core, are providing solutions to life’s challenges. What challenges does your business aim to solve for your customers/clients?
We are implementation partners. For nonprofit and small businesses that do not have highly skilled resources or money to deliver upon their mission, we are the team that can deliver a turnkey solution to your needs. We don’t only provide you with strategy, but we are also practitioners that help you get the work done.
- What does being a founder/entrepreneur mean to you?
It represents legacy, passion, independence, and freedom to me. It also means taking care of and financially providing for others – employees and clients alike.
- We know that founders of color face a number of challenges in not only creating but successfully operating their own business. As efforts are made nationally and globally to address racial inequity across industries, what role do you believe founders of color can have?
Our role is to fully embrace our black heritage as an asset and be bolder in reaching out to large majority owned clients to conduct business. Now is our time to seize the opportunities for newfound consideration.
- Is there a founder of color, historically or present day, who inspires you? And why?
Reggie Lewis’s story still inspires me. He was ahead of his time and a trailblazer doing mergers and acquisitions proving his worth amongst his peers. He was on top of his game long before we had the example of Robert Smith.
- What’s your one piece of advice to someone who dreams of becoming a founder/entrepreneur?
Save your money and be true to the realities of having to sacrifice if you want to be an entrepreneur.
Learn more about Lucas & Associates, LLC by visiting their website: lancelucasconsulting.com.
