Podcast appearances and mentions of James H Lowry

What do you fight for?      Movements, religion, and love are a few of the many things people spend their lives fighting for.   When you find a cause or life purpose that ignites a burning passion within you, you will forever be destined to fight all your life to keep it alive and known.   A successful businessman, author, and our guest Jim Lowry embodies what it means to fight for that passion. For Jim, the burning passion is the desire to boost economic development and create wealth in minority communities.   In his book, he uses his life story and experiences to convey the advancements that are achieved through the analysis of history and willingness to learn. His life's work is a blueprint for future generations who are willing to ignite that same fire.    So, what will you fight for?      “Be diplomatic but be honest”-  James H.  Lowry     James H. Lowry is a business icon, sought after speaker, strategic advisor and nationally recognized workforce and supplier diversity expert and pioneer. Lowry was the first African American consultant for global consulting firm McKinsey & Company in 1968. Later, he became the first African American senior partner at the prestigious Boston Consulting Group, where he led the firm’s workforce diversity, ethnic marketing and minority business development consulting practice. Lowry continues to serve as a senior advisor to BCG, while heading his own private consulting firm, James H. Lowry & Associates.   In early 1960’s, Lowry was an associate director with the US Peace Corps, stationed in Lima, Peru, where he met Senator Robert F. Kennedy who recruited him to be a staffer at the new Bedford-Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation in Brooklyn. While there, he, along with Bed-Stuy resident and actress Roxie Roker, co-hosted the pioneering television show Inside Bedford-Stuyvesant, New York City’s first program written, produced and presented by blacks at a time when blacks were largely invisible on television, or seen only in news footage about riots, protests or crime. In 1985, Lowry also co-hosted the groundbreaking television show MBR: The Minority Business Report.   In addition to his entrepreneurial endeavors, Lowry is a teacher, mentor and leader across sectors.   Lowry encapsulated his 30 plus years of experience in the field of minority business development in the book he co-authored in 2011, Minority Business Success: Refocusing on the American Dream. His new book, Change Agent: A Life Dedicated to Creating Wealth for Minorities, is an intimate memoir that demonstrates the power of iconic mentors and pivotal opportunities leveraged across the globe, and offers solutions to the ever-widening wealth gap that plagues black and brown communities today.    Topics we discuss:   Characterize success  Relationship with money   History of the Black community   Capitalism seems to perpetuate a scarcity mindset.  Big billionaires should flood money into black communities to help.    Importance of building a black partner ecosystem.  Reliance on the government.   Compassion  References:  Think and Grow Rich - Napoleon Hill  Change Agent - His Book  Francis Parker School - outside Chicago   Embryonic Democracy   PBS Documentary on the black church Produced by John Legend  Crab in the Barrel analogy  Lincoln's history of ending Slavery.  Dr. Grant's Episode  Pel Grants   John Thompson - Board of IBM/Microsoft  LBJ Quote   Illinois Reparations  Approval of Reparations in Reconstructions   Kent "Lock West" Episode with M.I.C.     Credits:  Lead editor + Producer: Ruf Holmes     Music:  Main Theme: "Eaze Does It" by Shye Eaze and DJ Rufbeats, a More In Common Podcast Exclusive.  All music created by DJ Rufbeats 

Zach has the honor of speaking with James H. Lowry, the first African-American consultant for global consulting firm McKinsey & Company in 1968. They chat about his incredibly unique experience in the space at that time, how the consulting field and corporate America in general has shifted since, and James talks a bit about his book - check the links in the show notes to find out more about it! Struggling with your Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) work? Kanarys—a Black-founded company—has your back. Regardless of where you are on your DEI journey, we arm you with the insights you need now to take action now. From audits to assessments to data-informed strategy, we'd love to be the partner you have been looking for. Email stacey@kanarys.com or learn more at https://www.kanarys.com/employer. You can connect with James on LinkedIn. Read more about him here. Learn about his book, Change Agent: A Life Dedicated to Creating Wealth for Minorities, on Amazon.

Management consultant and entrepreneur James H. Lowry was born in 1939 to Chicago postal workers Camille and William Lowry. Lowry graduated from the Francis W. Parker School in Chicago, and went on to earn his undergraduate degree from Grinnell College in Iowa. Lowry served in the Peace Corps in Tanzania and Puerto Rico before he returned to school to earn his master's degree in public international affairs from the University of Pittsburgh. In 1968, Lowry became McKinsey Consulting's first African American recruit. At McKinsey, Lowry convinced corporate clients of the value of investing in minority communities and sought to increase the firm's number of African American consultants; he continued this work while attending Harvard Business School, where he served as class president in 1973. On assignment from former Commerce Secretary Juanita Morris Kreps, Lowry produced a report on the status of minorities in the twenty-first century that attracted the attention of numerous municipal and corporate clients, including PepsiCo and Ford. In 1975, Lowry used his knowledge and experience to found James H. Lowry & Associates. Lowry's strategic partnership with Ford led to the automotive giant sourcing more than $3 billion dollars of goods and services to more than 300 minority suppliers. In 1981, Lowry approached his former employer, McKinsey, about its disappointing number of African American consultants, which he helped increase to nearly one hundred by 1999. In 2000 Lowry was recruited to join the prominent Boston Consulting Group; as a president of the group's Chicago operations, he was credited for his productive involvement in the North American Black Diversity Initiative, a program that fosters the development of African American management consultant professionals on college campuses and within the company. An adjunct faculty member of Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management, Lowry developed a lauded education program for minority business professionals in 2002. Lowry and his wife, Doris, raised a daughter: Aisha.

James H. Lowry grew up in Jim Crow era Chicago. After graduating from Grinnell College and spending time in the Peace Corps, Jim became McKinsey & Company's first African-American consultant in 1968 and, years later, the first black senior partner at Boston Consulting Group (BCG). Jim worked with mayors, the federal government and leading corporations to implement ground-breaking and historic workforce and supplier diversity programs. Lowry continues to serve as a senior advisor to BCG, while heading his own private consulting firm, James H. Lowry & Associates.   His new memoir, Change Agent, chronicles Jim's amazing life. As impressive as his professional resume is, the stories he has about his youth, college years and his work in the Peace Corps will blow your mind. Jim’s not only smart, incredibly accomplished, and networked out the wazoo, but he is just one cool guy. Special thanks to my friend and former Facebook colleague, Kay Madati for the introduction to Jim.     Buy Jim’s book, Change Agent, here.    To find books by other authors who have been on Crazy Money, shop our store on BOOKSHOP. (CM earns a small commission.)   Paul has lost 8 lbs in 12 days using the NOOM app (No kidding!). Get started eating right with a free NOOM two-week trial by clicking here.     Find out more about Paul Ollinger on his website and/or follow him on the socials:  • Twitter: http://Twitter.com/Paul_Ollinger • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paul_ollinger/ • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PaulOllinger/ • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulollinger/