GILBERT BLAND

President, chairman and CEO, Urban League of Hampton Roads; founder and chairman, The GilJoy Group, Norfolk

Published January 30, 2023 by Virginia Business

Hall of Fame member

Born in Jim Crow-era Harrisonburg, Bland launched his career in Chicago as a commercial lending officer before becoming a vice president for the largest Black-owned bank in the country, Independence Bank of Chicago. Bland found himself surrounded by Black entrepreneurs who “were tremendous role models.”

He took an entrepreneurial leap himself in the 1980s, becoming an owner-operator of quick-service restaurants, eventually owning more than 70 restaurants throughout the mid-Atlantic and South, including Burger King and Pizza Hut franchises. He credits mentors including Herman Cain, the late pizza entrepreneur-turned-GOP presidential candidate. (“Herman was a business mentor,” Bland emphasizes.)

Among other recognitions, Bland, an inductee into the Hampton Roads Business Hall of Fame, has received a lifetime achievement award from Volunteer Hampton Roads for his service with many boards and mentorship organizations.

Making strides: Virginia Business 2023 Black Leaders Award winners

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