Corporate Finance

This Black History Month, we are pleased to highlight Brandon Cuffy, a corporate associate in Washington. Brandon shares how Shirley Chisholm has influenced his career and how he hopes to pay it forward to future Black professionals.

“A black woman making a legitimate run for the U.S. presidency during the early 1970s was unfathomable, yet there was Shirley Chisholm. She was daring and unapologetic at a time when a black women ought not to be. What resonates with me the most was her unwillingness to put herself in a box. She made it clear that, though she knew all too well the plight of African Americans and women alike in this country, her aim wasn’t to limit herself to issues only affecting those groups – but rather to be a unifier and to endeavor to understand the plight of all Americans. 

“If I had to sum up my career so far, it would only take one hand to count the number of black corporate attorneys, investment bankers, accountants, business brokers, private equity managing directors and C-suite management team members I’ve come across on transactions – and I wouldn’t even need the whole hand. However, I’ve recently seen an influx of Blacks in high-finance, M&A advisory and corporate law – all working together to create a self-sustaining ecosystem and network for ourselves. To be part of an ecosystem focused on creating more opportunities for the generations coming after me is all the motivation I need to keep going in my own career."