If you missed it, the ForbesBLK Summit is set for October 8-10 in Atlanta at the historic Morehouse College. Our third business conference will feature ESPN First Take host Stephen A. Smith. We are also excited to welcome Robert F. Smith, founder of the private equity firm Vista Equity Partners. He made history at Morehouse College in 2019 when he announced he would pay off the entire $34 million in student loan debt for the graduating class of 396 students. Additionally, Honey Pot cofounder Bea Dixon will be attending, along with real estate tycoon Don Peebles. We have also just confirmed that music icon and businesswoman Kandi Burruss will join us. Our breakout rooms will return and will be more in-depth than ever. We will also present our first-ever ForbesBLK Community Member of the Year award—it will be epic.

Every year, I’m amazed at how my Forbes colleagues pull off the near-impossible: Convening some of the most influential leaders in the world in one room—and the thing is, there’s a real art to getting it right.

When Forbes Chief Content Officer Randall Lane and I first considered hosting the summit in April, I underestimated just how intricate that process really is. That cost me dearly in the form of mental stress and severe fatigue.

Securing the right mix of leaders, visionaries like Robert F. Smith, Pharrell Williams and Michael Jordan, requires precision, timing and patience. Some weren’t available. Others had conflicts. And while trailblazers like Fawn Weaver, CEO of Uncle Nearest, and Don Peebles, CEO of Peebles Corporation were ready to go, we knew the full vision needed more time.

Gathering this caliber of talent is never easy—but the team delivered. And now, with the momentum we’ve built and the vision fully in place, the upcoming summit is set to be our most powerful yet. 

This October, we’ll explore “Today’s Challenges, Tomorrow’s Opportunity” and examine the next wave of jobs in various sectors. With the help of Robert F. Smith, we’ll gain more insight into the future of generative AI, talk about real estate, content creation in our culture, and so much more. We’re still seeking and collaborating on ideas, so please send them our way. Let’s make this ForbesBLK Summit spectacular.

Mengiste has spent nearly 30 years in the car business, stopping at Ford and Nissan, so he can provide a glimpse of the sector. The son of an airline pilot and a native of Kenya, Mengiste was hired in January to oversee operations at Genesis, Hyundai Motor Company’s luxury car line.

Cars have fascinated me since I was a teenager working at a Toyota dealership in Devon, Pennsylvania. One can learn so much working at a car dealership, including people skills, the ins and outs of fixing cars, and how to upsell service. About 16 million cars are sold in the U.S. annually, and with a wave of new taxes on imported cars and parts, some analysts project a $10,000 spike in the price of a new car. Meanwhile, Morgan Stanley estimates tariffs will increase the price of a car by $6,000.

On Tuesday, President Donald Trump issued “short-term” relief, including removing a 25% tariff on steel and aluminum, which comprise half the weight of cars. Still, throughout the tariff noise, Mengiste suggests Genesis is “playing the long game” to capture more U.S. consumers in the luxury car market, especially its top minority consumer—Black Americans.

In the discussion, Mengiste examines Hyundai’s $21 billion investment in the U.S. through 2028. That commitment promises to create more than 100,000 jobs. Mengiste also reveals what he seeks in future executives he could hire as Genesis expands and provides his top three motivational books.

Watch the interview or listen to the podcast on Apple or Spotify.

My One Interesting Read: Top CEOs are known to be early morning risers. Today, the 4 a.m. routine is now viral, thanks partly to a guy named Ashton Hall, writes the Wall Street Journal.

Enjoy this week’s newsletter, and keep up with me on Instagram and LinkedIn.