Ursula M . Burns is the first Black woman to be a Chief Executive Officer of a Fortune 500 company . She regularly appears on Fortune and Forbes ’ lists of the world ’ s most powerful women and is currently a Board Director of Exxon Mobil and Uber , Senior Advisor of Teneo Ltd ., Executive Chairman of PLUM Acquisition Corp I / Special Purpose Acquisition Company ; and a founding partner of private equity firm , Integrum Holdings . Burns is also on three Pre-IPO boards – Waystar , IHS Towers and Hear . com ( Auris Netherlands IV N . V .). She is also the author of the book “ Where You Are Is Not Who You Are .” She joined Xerox Corporation as a summer intern in 1980 and held leadership posts spanning corporate services , manufacturing and product development before being named President in 2007 , Chief Executive Officer in 2009 and was Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer from 2010-2017 . During her tenure , she spearheaded the largest acquisition in Xerox history , the $ 6.4 billion purchase of Affiliated Computer Services . U . S . President Barack Obama appointed Burns to lead The White House national program on Science , Technology , Engineering and Math ( STEM ) from 2009-2016 . She also served as Chair of the President ’ s Export Council from 2015-2016 , after service as Vice Chair from 2010-2015 . In 2017 , she was appointed Chairman of the Board of VEON Ltd . and was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer from 2018-2020 . Burns holds a master ’ s in mechanical engineering from Columbia University and a bachelor ’ s in mechanical engineering from Polytechnic Institute of New York University .
Ruth E . Carter is the first Black person to win the Academy Award for Best Costume Design . She is also the first Black costume designer with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame . With a career spanning four decades in theater , television and cinema collaborating with the most prolific directors in the world , Carter has been the costume designer for over 40 iconic films including – “ School Daze ,” “ Do The Right Thing ,” “ Mo ’ Betta Blues ,” “ The Five Heartbeats ,” “ Jungle Fever ,” “ What ’ s Love Got To Do With It ,” ‘ Rosewood ,” “ B . A . P . S ” “ Love & Basketball ,” “ Shaft ,” “ Sparkle ,” “ The Butler , “ AKA member Ava DuVernay ’ s “ Selma ,” “ Marshall ,” “ Black Panther ” and “ Coming 2 America .” She received an Academy Award for “ Black Panther ” and two Academy Award nominations — for “ Malcolm X ” and “ Amistad .” Currently , she is the costume designer for 2022 ’ s “ Black Panther 2 : Wakanda Forever .” In television , she received an Emmy nomination for the 2016 mini-series reboot , “ Roots .” Carter ' s ability to fuse African traditional with contemporary while incorporating technology to deliver fashion , function and authenticity cements her as a preeminent expert voice on Afro future and period aesthetics . Her costumes tell timeless stories that enrich the Black narrative . Carter ’ s depth of artistry , creative instincts , passion for history , empathy for people , capacity for research , eye for detail and technique to deliver the director ’ s vision while infusing her own signature , makes her one of the most sought after and renowned costume designers in the world . Carter holds a Bachelor of Arts in theater arts from Hampton University .
Debra Martin Chase is the first Black female producer to have an overall deal at any major Hollywood studio . She is also the first Black woman to produce a film that grossed over $ 100 million . To date , her films have grossed over a half billion dollars at the box office . Chase ’ s work has garnered Academy , Emmy , Golden Globe , Screen Actors Guild , Critics Choice , NAACP Image and Peabody Award nominations . Her production company , Martin Chase Productions , currently has an overall deal with Universal Television , and previously had one with The Walt Disney Company for 15 years . Prior to that , Chase ran Whitney Houston ’ s Brown House Productions from 1995 to 2000 and Denzel Washington ’ s Mundy Lane Entertainment from 1992 to 1995 . She has produced “ The Princess Diaries ,” “ The Sisterhood of The Traveling Pants ” and “ The Cheetah Girls ” movie franchises as well as “ Harriet ” starring AKA member Cynthia Erivo , “ Sparkle ,” “ Just Wright ,” “ Courage Under Fire ” and “ The Preacher ’ s Wife .” Her television credits include Rodgers & Hammerstein ’ s “ Cinderella ,” “ Missing ” “ Lemonade Mouth ,” “ Hank Aaron : Chasing the Dream ,” “ Lovestruck ” and “ Zoe Ever After .” She also produced five movies in partnership with Mattel ' s American Girl . Her current hit TV series is CBS ’ “ The Equalizer .” She sits on the boards of B & G Foods , New York City Ballet and Second Stage Theatre . She is a member of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and The Television Academy . Chase is a Phi Beta Kappa , magna cum laude graduate of Mount Holyoke College and the Harvard Law School .
44 I vyL eaf ® Summer 2021 Centennial edition