↓ Meet Our Board of Directors

The story of Emerald Book, Inc. begins not in a boardroom, but in a question that has echoed through generations: Where can Black people go to thrive in America? In the summer of 2024, in Atlanta, that question found its answer in the form of an interactive map. Founded as a data-driven initiative by Dr. Roberson Beauvile, Emerald Book began as Emerald Places (known as the Black Community Map today), a sophisticated tool that ranks cities by Black livability. Using a powerful combination of census data, FBI statistics, a proprietary AI algorithm, and deep sociological theory, Emerald Places scored every city in America on a scale from 0 to 5. A 5 represented an "Ideal" environment, strong in all factors critical to Black well-being, while a 0 signaled "Very Poor" conditions, not recommended for Black people.

The findings were revelatory. The data pointed to a clear winner: Maryland emerged as the top-ranked state for Black people, with a specific cluster of neighborhoods just outside of Washington, D.C., forming a unique pocket of prosperity, community, and opportunity. This project, now known as the Black Community Map, became the foundational layer upon which everything else would be built.

With the "where" answered, the next logical question was "who and what." In the spring of 2025, Emerald Book expanded its mission from mapping locations to empowering livelihoods. The team layered a custom AI-powered recommendation engine over its existing infrastructure to create the Black Business Map. This new tool was designed to connect the community with the very businesses that sustain it, making Black-owned enterprises easily discoverable.

From 100 Businesses to 1,000 — and Beyond

This effort quickly evolved into a landmark initiative: the 100 Black Businesses Project. A bold, methodical plan was set in motion. We attempted to add the top 100 Black-owned businesses from the top 50 Blackest cities bin America, but ultimately decided to stop at 1,000 in the top 10 Blackest cities in America—because we realized the true pillars of the Black economy are far more numerous than any single list could capture. This ongoing project is creating the most dynamic and curated directory of Black excellence in commerce ever assembled, ensuring that the businesses that serve and sustain the community are celebrated and supported.

Expanding the Index System and Recording History

By the spring of 2026, Emerald Book had transformed from a mapping tool into a comprehensive ecosystem. We launched a new resource hub called Emerald Hub, which houses the Emerald Economic Index System—a living dashboard that tracks every major metric concerning the Black economy, from employment rates and business formation to wealth gaps and consumer spending power. This was followed by a critical infrastructure project: mapping every single Black-owned bank in America, creating a financial roadmap designed to circulate and grow Black wealth.

Understanding that data alone can't tell the full story, Emerald Book embarked on its most ambitious historical project. We meticulously recorded every action that has harmed the Black community over the last 600 years, creating a complete history of oppression database. This database, which includes the who, what, and when of the perpetrated actions, serves as an unflinching acknowledgment of the past, ensuring that the community's collective memory is preserved and that the path to equity is grounded in truth.

The Grand Project: Emerald Pages

All of this—the maps, the data, the history—culminates in the organization's grand project: Emerald Pages. Described as the only newspaper dedicated entirely to tracking everything related to Black economic life and growing the Black economy, it promises a completely unfiltered look at all the forces shaping the Black economy in America in real-time. Emerald Pages is 100% independent — owned by no one but ourselves, led entirely by Black leadership, and funded entirely through the generous gifts of our readers. Without them, Emerald Pages would not be possible. We answer to no outside investors or corporate interests. Every decision we make is to fulfill our mission of growing the Black economy. We are Black-led, Black-built, and Black-focused — and we intend to keep it that way. Our only stakeholders are the people who read us, support us, and believe in the mission. That is our North Star, and we will never deviate from it.

The inaugural edition dropped on April 6th, 2026. It is more than just a collection of stories; it is a synthesis of everything Emerald Book has built. Emerald Pages reports, tracks, and grows the Black economy in real-time, delivering up-to-the-moment insights, highlighting the Black-owned businesses from our Black Business Map, and providing the historical context from its vast archive. Emerald Pages represents the final piece of the puzzle: a direct, unfiltered line to the community, designed to inform, empower, and mobilize.

• 500,000+ readers reached as of September 2026
• Projected to hit 1 million readers by December 2026

From a question asked in the summer of 2024 in Atlanta, Emerald Book, Inc. has built a multi-faceted institution. It has mapped the present, chronicled the past, and is now providing the tools and insights to build a future where the Black economy doesn't just survive, but thrives. The work continues, week by week, business by business, and page by page — now shared with over 500,000 readers and growing at a pace that projects 1 million readers by December 2026. None of this would be possible without you — our readers, our supporters, and our community. Thank you for believing in this mission and for being part of something bigger than any of us. Across our social media platforms, we now reach millions of users who are actively engaging with, sharing, and building the Black economy alongside us. This is our collective movement, and it's only just beginning.

Meet Our Board of Directors

Emerald Book's leadership brings together expertise in business growth, technology, and creative strategy to drive sustainable economic expansion and measurable results for the businesses we serve.