Linda Johnson Rice Keynote Speaker

Linda Johnson Rice is an influential executive in the business world with more than four decades of experience in the industry. She has helped create some of the most iconic brands in media and is an uplifting voice for the next generation of creative business leaders. As a frequent speaker on panels and at conferences worldwide, Linda enjoys sharing her wisdom and advice with young entrepreneurs.

Johnsons Publishing Company, founded in 1942 by her father, was the largest African American-owned business in the country, and it helped prepare Linda for a career in publishing from the tender age of six. She is currently the Chairwoman of Johnsons Publishing and has held several key positions within the company since 1980, including CEO, COO, and Vice President. Linda is a former co-founder and CEO of Ebony Media Holdings LLC, a multimedia company that owns and operates Ebony and Jet magazines. She has travelled extensively while serving at Ebony Fashion Fair, where she began as a fashion editor, later becoming the vice president and CEO until her exit from the brand in 2019.

Linda has been recognised as one of Chicago’s 100 Most Powerful Women. She has received various honours, including the National Urban League’s Women of Power Award and the Trumpet Awards’ Tower of Power Award. She is the recipient of the Phenomenal Woman Award and was selected as Alumni of the Year by Kellogg School of Management.

She was a member of the National Association of Black Journalists and a board member of Chicago’s Boys and Girls Club. She served on the board of trustees for several organisations, including the Museum of Contemporary Art, University of Southern California and the director’s board for the Magazine Publishers of America. Linda has also served on the board of directors for large corporations such as Tesla Inc, Kimberly Clark, Continental Bank Corporation, and Bausch & Lomb.

Linda is a formidable businesswoman who has steered Ebony Media company into new digital frontiers, and her influence reaches far beyond the realm of Johnson’s Publishing. She is also a highly sought-after speaker committed to uplifting the next generation of creative minds. Linda’s presentations are always packed with valuable insights for aspiring business leaders as she firmly believes that they hold the key to prosperity.