Breaking Barriers, Building a Hire Ground – Episode 106: Building a Sustainable Legacy with Kenneth Kelly of First Independence Bank

“Do your work in such a way that there are others willing to speak up on your behalf.” – Kenneth Kelly

Kenneth Kelly is the Chairman and CEO of First Independence Bank, the 7th largest African American-owned bank in the United States. Founded in 1970, the bank has served the Detroit-Metropolitan area and remains the only African American-owned bank headquartered in the State of Michigan. Kenneth is also behind the book, Prepared Before I Let Go, which outlines preserving professions through proper planning. He also developed My Legacy Items, a service that allows people to easily prepare their last will and testament.

Kenneth Kelly joins us today to describe the importance of leaving a legacy with sustainability in mind. He shares how First Independence Bank started, its mission, and how they contribute to their community as an African American-owned bank. He explains how companies can be ESG-focused. He discusses why being intentional with the terms we use matters from a community perspective. Kenneth also reveals why money is the oxygen for any business idea.

Topics discussed in this episode of Breaking Barriers, Building Hire Ground:

• The importance of having a black-owned bank in any community
• What Kenneth’s book is about and its startling findings
• Why all of us should be ESG-oriented
• The questions large and small companies should be asking to focus on ESG
• Supplier diversity, lending, and banking
• Kenneth’s institutional initiatives around supplier equity and inclusion
• Being intentional with how we use our terms and language for inclusion

Connect with Bruce Katz:

• First Independence Bank
• Prepared Before I Let Go
• My Legacy Items
• Kenneth Kelly on LinkedIn

Listen to the full episode now!

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This podcast is brought to you by Hire Ground.

Hire Ground is a technology company whose mission is to bridge the wealth gap through access to procurement opportunities. Hire Ground is making the enterprise ecosystem more viable, profitable, and competitive by clearing the path for minority-led, women-led, LGBT-led, and veteran-led small businesses to contribute to the global economy as suppliers to enterprise organizations.

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