gossip—I was flipping pages hoping to find someone who looked like me and had built something of their own. Yes, I was encouraged to submit photos to become a Jet Beauty of the Week. But what I really wanted was to be a CEO of the Month. I wanted to be profiled not for how I looked, but for what I led. I clung to that 1981 Black Enterprise cover featuring one of the first Black women in business leadership. It gave me permission to dream—and the blueprint to try. A Legacy of Entrepreneurship, A Future of Empowerment Entrepreneurship runs deep in my blood. My late father, Wilbur Williams, was a city accountant in Northglenn. But he wanted more autonomy—and more impact. So, he left his government job to start WW Tax & Accounting Services, a firm he ran for over five decades, serving generations of Colorado families and faith-based organizations with integrity and grit.
My grandfather, Jesse Johnson, was a pioneer. He founded Town & Country Realty, one of the first Black-owned real estate companies in Denver—a time when redlining, segregation, and economic exclusion were not only common but widely sanctioned. He opened doors for Black families to buy homes, build equity, and dream. My mother, Shelley Hodge, still runs Town & Country today. She has been a mentor to dozens of realtors and helped hundreds of families navigate the most important financial decision of their lives. This legacy shaped me—but I knew I wanted to build something different. While my family worked in accounting and real estate, I wanted to build a workforce engine. I wanted to place people in careers, coach them into promotions, and empower them with confidence. I wanted to create a business that gave people not just a paycheck—but a path forward.
Image: Prescott Solutions.
38 The Acumen
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