Janice Bryant Howroyd

Janice Bryant Howroyd (born September 1, 1952) is an entrepreneur, businesswoman, and author. She is the founder and chief executive officer of The ActOne Group, the largest privately held, minority-woman-owned personnel company in the U.S. Howroyd is notable for being the first African-American woman to build and own a billion-dollar company. Born in Tarboro, North Carolina, she grew up as one of 11 children in her family. Howroyd played a significant role in the desegregation of her town's high school as one of the first African American students. Moving to Los Angeles in 1976, she started her own company, The ACT•1 Group, with a budget of $1,000, focusing on employment services. She has since become a prominent figure in the business world.