From C Student to CEO: Redefining Success with Felecia Hatcher
Felecia Hatcher’s journey—from a self-described “C student” to CEO of Pharrell Williams’ Black Ambition—is a masterclass in resilience and reinvention. In this episode, she shares how her early experiences, entrepreneurial hustle, and commitment to building Black startup ecosystems shaped her mission. From launching Code Fever and Black Tech Week to transforming capital access through cultural healing and community building, Felecia challenges conventional narratives of success—and makes the case for creating new pathways rooted in equity, ownership, and belonging.
Moving the Needle is hosted by Christopher Gergen & Johnathan Holifield, and is produced by Earfluence.
If you like our podcast, you'll also like our books:
- The Future Economy and Inclusive Competitiveness: How Demographic Trends and Innovation Can Create Economic Prosperity for All Americans, by Johnathan Holifield
- Life Entrepreneurs: Ordinary People Creating Extraordinary Lives, by Christopher Gergen and Gregg Vanourek
Thank you to our sponsors:
- Live Oak Bank is on a mission to be America's small business bank and has the privilege of helping thousands of passionate, driven entrepreneurs turn their dreams into reality. These small business owners aren’t in it for the fortune or the fame. They’re in it to make a difference, just like Live Oak.
- SHRM has created better workplaces by supporting diversity, equity and inclusion throughout the world of work and society. It’s why they developed the Together Forward@ Work initiative to drive racial inequity out of the workplace. It’s why SHRM made a capital commitment to support minority-owned business enterprises.
If you like our podcast, you'll also like our books:
- The Future Economy and Inclusive Competitiveness: How Demographic Trends and Innovation Can Create Economic Prosperity for All Americans, by Johnathan Holifield
- Life Entrepreneurs: Ordinary People Creating Extraordinary Lives, by Christopher Gergen and Gregg Vanourek
