Meet Mike Henley | CEO & Co-Founder of Black Alum, LLC.

We had the good fortune of connecting with Mike Henley and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mike, is your business focused on helping the community? If so, how?
Black Alum is all about celebrating black achievement and honoring those that have paved the way and continue to excel in all areas from business, entrepreneurship, sports and entertainment, academia, trade and more. Black Alum seeks to highlight the many roads to success and uplifting of the black community. Our brand shines a light on black faces, in all spaces doing what we have always done as a people: persevering and prospering against all odds.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
When I am not focused on building Black Alum with my business partners Taylar and Kristin, I am pouring into my career in the media industry. I have the pleasure of working as a consultant for one of the biggest and most reputable multi-media companies in the world and with that comes tons of excitement and its share of challenges. My work in corporate america is fun, but the true value comes from the lessons learned and exposure to new technology. Being able to work with media. executives and technology leaders gains me access to a huge amount of experiences that I have definitely leveraged in our early days of building black alum. Taking those experiences and thinking about how that could benefit Black Alum is always in the back of my mind. From. innovative marketing to emerging technologies, and even to planning and executing on projects, I file everything I learn in my mind to be used or leveraged towards growing Black Alum.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Living in the ATL, there is never a shortage of things to do and places to see. If I had friends in town, we’d start off that saturday with some early morning cardio either visiting Piedmont Park or hiking in Stone Mountain or Kennesaw. Next, we’d find ourselves getting some amazing brunch at any of the amazing places in the city. ATL is a foodies paradise, so there are too many to choose from. We’d start with brunch with any of the delicious black owned restaurants in the cities historically black Auburn neighborhood or other popular spots like Toast or Breakfast at Barney’s, take in the vibes at a day party or check out the sites at Ponce City Market (dropping in for a drink at Bar Vegan, or shopping at Village Market ATL) Krog street off the beltline, or Little Five Points. Later that evening, grab dinner from one of my favorite restaurants Agave or Two-Urban licks, and then end up grabbing a drink at any of the cool lounges in the City.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My shoutout goes to Florida A&M University, the college that I graduated from and is responsible for the man that I am today. From introducing me to lifelong friends and business partners, to unlocking an unyielding desire to be great, the lessons that I learned at FAMU are lifelong lessons and have prepared me to walk out into this world everyday and give it my best. Whether it’s in my day to day, working in corporate america and mass media, or inspiring me to create a lifestyle brand and apparel line centered around black excellence, the college of love and charity is the reason.

Website: www.blackalum.co

Instagram: Wannabelikmike (Personal), BlackAlum (Business)

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-henley-00723233/

Image Credits
Photographer; James Booker of Chicago, IL Photos: @James_limitless (Instagram) Graphic Artist: Taylar Barrington-Booker of Chicago, IL @TaylarBarrington (Instagram)