Janice Bryant Howroyd

Janice Bryant Howroyd is an American businesswoman and entrepreneur, renowned for founding and leading ActOne Group, a global workforce solutions enterprise. She is recognized as the first African American woman to build and own a billion-dollar company. Her career spans decades in the human resources and staffing industry, where she has been a prominent advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion in the corporate world.

Early life and education

Janice Bryant Howroyd was born in Tarboro, North Carolina, and grew up in a family of eleven children. Her early experiences in the American South during the Civil Rights Movement shaped her perspective on opportunity and resilience. She attended North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, a historically black university, where she studied English. Her academic background provided a foundation in communication that would later prove instrumental in her business ventures, though she left before completing her degree to pursue career opportunities in Los Angeles.

Career

Howroyd began her professional career in Los Angeles, initially working in temporary roles within the entertainment industry. In 1978, with a $1,500 loan from her mother and operating from a small office in Beverly Hills, California, she founded a staffing agency. She strategically grew the business by focusing on providing exceptional service to clients in sectors like technology, finance, and healthcare. Her firm evolved into a comprehensive workforce solutions company, offering services including temporary staffing, executive search, and consulting. Howroyd's leadership emphasized innovation, adopting early information technology systems to manage placements and expanding services to include diversity recruitment and career transition programs.

ActOne

Her company, originally named AppleOne, was rebranded as the ActOne Group to reflect its broader mission. Under this banner, Howroyd built a multinational corporation with operations across North America, Europe, Asia, and Latin America. The ActOne Group portfolio includes specialized divisions such as A-Check Global for background screening and AgileOne for vendor management. A key to its success has been its proprietary software platforms that streamline the employment process for both companies and job seekers. Howroyd has consistently positioned ActOne Group at the forefront of addressing labor market trends, including the gig economy and remote work.

Awards and recognition

Janice Bryant Howroyd has received extensive accolades for her entrepreneurial achievements and advocacy. She was appointed by President Barack Obama to serve on the President's Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for African Americans. Her honors include the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award and the Horatio Alger Award. She has been inducted into the North Carolina A&T State University Alumni Hall of Fame and recognized by organizations like the National Association of Women Business Owners and the U.S. Department of Commerce. Publications such as Forbes and Black Enterprise have frequently featured her on lists of the most powerful women in business.

Personal life

She is married to Bernard Howroyd, who is also involved in the operations of the ActOne Group. Together they have two children, including Brett Howroyd, who holds a leadership position within the family business. Howroyd is a committed philanthropist, supporting educational initiatives through the Howroyd-Wright Foundation and other charities focused on STEM education and entrepreneurship. She serves on the boards of several institutions, including California State University, Northridge and the Women's Leadership Board at the Harvard Kennedy School.

Category:American businesspeople Category:American billionaires Category:1952 births Category:Living people