As Black History Month comes to a close, I think it’s safe to say that any Black person would want to create a better path for the next generation and commit to it all year long. And I also think it’s safe to say that any Black entrepreneur or executive is trying to use their power and access for the greater good of our communities —and to make up for lost time. 

It’s an honor and privilege to be able to connect the dots in what it means to make modern-day Black history against the backdrop of centuries-long exclusion and lack of access, including segregation and so many other things that people like me are only one generation removed from. Now, in 2024, I am acutely aware of the challenges that continue to hinder the progress of the Black community. I have gotten to experience firsthand how hard it is to succeed and achieve at the highest level simply because I’m Black. 

Today, as President at Hero Media Inc.—a Black-owned media company—I am committed to creating a vision of inclusion and equity, one that transcends racial boundaries and empowers diverse voices to be heard. I joined to help create a greater vision. Not one that’s just for a Black company with a Black founder and a Black team, but one that can fully be a contender in the media and programmatic ad space, delivering content, events, and paradigm shifting ideas to the world’s greatest brands and advertisers. 

I’ve been here just 10 months, and we’ve already made modern day Black history by launching the first Black-owned DSP in partnership with a publicly traded ad-tech company, AdTheorent. This is the first time that a publicly traded advertising technology company has joined forces with a Black-owned company to create a programmatic ad-tech solution designed to solve the unique challenges of marketing and reaching the multicultural consumer at scale. And we are going to continue making history later this year with BlackWeek, a first-of-its-kind marketing conference and economic forum bringing together diverse voices across media and advertising.

As we commemorate Black History Month, we need to recognize our collective power to shape the future. We all have a role to play in rewriting the narrative, weaving together new stories of progress, equity, and inclusion.

Let’s make history—not just for ourselves and to honor those before us, but for the generations yet to come.

-Lauren Maillian, President, Digital Innovation, Hero Media