theGrio’s 100: Randal Pinkett, 1st black ‘Apprentice’ winner trumps competition

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Who is Randal Pinkett?

Dr. Randal Pinkett’s sharp rise to fame began after becoming the first African-American to win Donald Trump’s The Apprentice during its fourth season. But Pinkett had already had a prominent presence in the business world even before showing his face in the reality show realm. The MIT graduate is the co-founder and CEO of BCT Partners, a technology and policy consulting firm that includes a client base of many companies from the Fortune 500. Pinkett also holds five different academic degrees from Rutgers University, Oxford and MIT.

Why is he on theGrio’s 100?

While Pinkett garnered fame from his win on The Apprentice, Pinkett has taken his success a step further and pushed the boundaries on how the corporate world can interact with local communities, especially youth. Pinkett told theGrio in an interview that “There is no substitute for persistence and determination. There are a lot of talented, gifted, and smart people out there. However, not everyone is willing to do the hard work that it takes to make an imprint on this world. A lot of people throw in the towel too easily and quickly. The race is won by he or she that endures.”

According to his website, Pinkett’s business ventures have all sought to achieve a “double bottom-line” which mean they not only receive financial returns but also social returns. From providing access to affordable broadband internet to low-income communities to donating to nonprofits that specialize in minority communities, the bigger Pinkett’s ventures become, the more he is able to give back to underserved communities.

What’s next for Pinkett?

The U.S. government recently awarded BCT Partners a billion dollars to implement President Obama’s Affordable Care Act. Pinkett, with his mission to improve health care opportunities for the African-American community, has taken on this challenge and plans on upgrading healthcare technology infrastructure.

“The two signature challenges as we face as African-Americans are economic empowerment and healthcare,” Dr. Pinkett stated. “The health disparities in the community are wide. We are at the top of the list as it relates to many diseases like diabetes, sickle-cell, cancer, and high blood pressure. If we don’t tackle these two issues, they are going to keep plaguing us.”

Follow Dr. Randal Pinkett on Twitter @randalpinkett