Ressler's $5M commitment is notable because it gives Black entrepreneurs access to senior-level Hawks execsNBAE/GETTY IMAGES
Hawks Principal Owners TONY RESSLER and JAMI GERTZ are hoping to "empower Black entrepreneurs and business owners through a new investment with Atlanta-based real estate company H.J. Russell & Co.," as Ressler and his wife have "committed to give $5 million to the H.J. Russell Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (RCIE)," according to Eric Jackson of the ATLANTA BUSINESS CHRONICLE. The Hawks also have announced a plan to "expand their diversity and inclusion program with a $25 million commitment over the next decade." The NBPA and the Hawks Foundation are "pledging an additional $10 million to provide further economic growth opportunities within Atlanta’s Black community." The $5M commitment to RCIE is "notable because it will be used to give Black entrepreneurs and small business owners access to capital and mentorship with industry leaders, including senior-level Hawks executives" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 10/27). HERMAN J. RUSSELL, who died in '14, was one of the initial owners of the Hawks (ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION, 10/28).
