Courtesy of Clark Atlanta University
Clark Atlanta University has announced the appointment of Nsenga K. Burton, Ph.D., as Southern Regional Director of the National Center for Entrepreneurship at CAU. As part of a partnership with The Howard University and PNC National Center for Entrepreneurship, the center will support expanded opportunities for Black entrepreneurship through ownership, innovation, and creativity. In this role, Dr. Burton will lead initiatives to establish or strengthen centers for entrepreneurship on historically Black college and university (HBCU) campuses in Georgia, Florida, Alabama, and the Virgin Islands. Prior to joining CAU, Dr. Burton served as co-director of Film and Media Management at Emory University
Dr. Burton brings over 22 years of experience to this role. In addition to her work as an academician, she is the former executive director of the National Association of Multicultural Digital Entrepreneurs, a trade organization committed to leveling the playing field for people of color in the tech ecosystem. A serial entrepreneur, she is the founder and editor-in-chief of the award-winning news site The Burton Wire, covering news of the African Diaspora. Additionally, she served as chair of Communication Arts at Johnson C. Smith University, chair of Communication and Media Studies at Goucher College, and interim chair of Mass Media Arts at Clark Atlanta University.
Burton has contributed to CNN, Huffington Post Black Voices, The Grio, and The New York Times. She also serves as a culture and entertainment editor for Black Press USA’s Newswire, which is powered by the National Newspaper Publishers Association, where she hosts a live-stream series on issues impacting HBCUs. Dr. Burton is also the former editor-at-large for The Root, an online African-American news publication. Dr. Burton’s entire career has been dedicated to addressing issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion in media industries.
“Dr. Burton brings a wealth of immense experience to this role through her successes as an innovator, entrepreneur, professor, and writer,” said Silvanus J. Udoka, Ph.D., provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs at Clark Atlanta University. “Her conversance in enterprise and entrepreneurship, along with her depth of knowledge in Black Studies, will permanently and positively impact our scholars seeking to become entrepreneurs, business owners, and industry pioneers.”
The PNC Foundation is providing a five-year, $16.8 million grant to Howard University to create the national center for entrepreneurship education and research with the goal to serve the nation’s network of more than 100 historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and their communities. This grant is part of PNC’s $88 billion Community Benefits Plan, launched in 2022, which pledges to provide $88 billion in loans, investments, and other financial support to bolster economic opportunity for low- and moderate-income individuals, communities and people of color over a four-year period.
“We are honored to have Dr. Burton accept the role of Regional Director for the South Region of our National Center,” said Erin Horne McKinney, National Executive Director of the Howard University & PNC National Center for Entrepreneurship. “She brings a deep level of commitment to Black entrepreneurship and advocacy and extensive personal experience as an award-winning business leader to the role. We are excited to have her join our team as a partner and thought leader and to collaborate with her as she continues to build out the entrepreneurial ecosystem amongst the HBCUs and business community in her region.”
Dr. Burton is the recipient of the 2023 National Coalition of 100 Black Women Unsung Heroine Award, the 2013 winner of the Ray Taliaferro NABJ Entrepreneur of the Year Award, and a 2014 Scripps-Howard Journalism Fellow at Walter Cronkite School of Journalism. She will receive a 2023 Pearlie Award for outstanding community service in June.