Five Morehouse alumni, Aaron Holiday '04, Paul Judge '99, Robbie Robinson '98, Kenneth Saffold '99 and Willie Woods '85 were named to the 2026 ForbesBLK 50: Money Masters list, which "features the most powerful and wealthiest Black Americans in alternative investments".
"ForbesBLK selected BLK 50 members primarily in three areas: private equity, private credit, and venture capital. The 2026 list builds on the inaugural list, ForbesBLK 50: Power, Wealth and Impact, which featured the most influential and wealthy Black Americans in business. Some names from the 2024 list include Liberty Bank and Trust president Todd McDonald '03 as well as the return of names like Robert F. Smith, cofounder of $100 billion Vista Equity Partners and others who have also excelled in private investments.
"The second BLK 50 highlights new wealth creators and in total, individuals on the ForbesBLK 50 comprise an AUM (assets under management) of more than $200 billion.
"Fairview Capital Partners, an investment management firm, reports that there are more than 1,000 women and minority-owned private equity and venture capital firms in the U.S. That’s up from only 100 firms in 2014 when Fairview published its first market review of women and minority-owned private equity and venture capital firms. As of 2024, 168 of the 1,000 firms are Black-owned. That’s up from 122 firms in 2022, and 67 firms two years prior, according to Fairview’s data.
"Despite the growth of Black and minority-owned firms, many private capital firms are facing an uncertain future. The field is awash with competition, making fundraising and deal pricing extremely challenging. This, plus the rise in interest rates has made “leverage” more expensive and hurt valuations, creating a difficult environment for exits.
"The Money Masters featured on ForbesBLK 50 are thriving despite industry headwinds." - Forbes
Moreover, we are extremely proud of the outstanding work that these Morehouse alumni are doing as well as the success that they are achieving despite the myriad of obstacles they face in the markets.
Aaron Holiday '04
Cofounder, Managing Partner, 645 Ventures
AUM: $555 Million
Age: 44 | Location: New York, NY
As managing partner of venture firm 645 Ventures, Holiday oversees the firm’s investment strategy and works closely with founders to scale early-stage technology companies. He co-launched the firm in 2014, starting with an initial fund totaling $7.6 million, and has since backed companies including FiscalNote, Goldbelly, Iterable and Squire. Previously, Holiday developed trading and derivatives software at Goldman Sachs and financial services company GFI Group, and later advised high-growth startups. A Morehouse alum, Holiday also holds an MBA from Cornell.
Paul Judge '99
Chairman, Managing Partner, Open Opportunity Fund
AUM: $150 Million
Age: 48 | Location: Atlanta, GA
Judge is Chairman and cofounder of the Open Opportunity Fund, a venture capital firm that supports underrepresented tech founders. Since launching in June 2020, Open Opportunity Fund says it’s invested in 75 Black and Latino startups. Judge grew up in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, graduated from Morehouse College. He earned a doctorate in cybersecurity from Georgia Tech.
Robbie Robinson '98
Cofounder, CEO,MarcyPen
AUM: $1.1 Billion
Age: 48 | Location: Los Angeles, CA
A former financial advisor to President Obama, Robinson graduated from Morehouse College in 1998 on an Oprah Winfrey scholarship. After college, Robinson worked at Goldman Sachs where he met Byron Trott, known on Wall Street as Warren Buffett's banker. In 2009, Robinson joined Trott on the founding team of BDT Capital Partners in Chicago. A decade later, Robinson started private equity firm Pendulum Holdings alongside wife, D'Rita Robinson, and raised more than $200 million. In 2024, the investment arm of Pendulum Holdings merged with entertainer Jay-Z’s firm to form MarcyPen Capital Partners.
Kenneth Saffold '99
Cofounder, Managing Partner, o15 Capital Partners
AUM: $397 Million
Age: 49 | Location: Atlanta, GA
Saffold oversees firm strategy as well as deal origination and execution. Before founding o15 Capital Partners, Saffold was a managing director at BlackRock and served on the investment committee for BlackRock’s Impact Opportunities Fund, a more than $800 million fund designed to fund underserved communities. Saffold earned an MBA from The Wharton School and a bachelor’s degree from Morehouse College.
Willie Woods '85
Cofounder, President, ICV Partners
AUM: $736 Million
Age: 63 | Location: Miami, FL
Before launching ICV, Woods served stints in investment banking, advising on mergers and acquisitions, leveraged loans, high-yield bonds, and equity transactions. Woods has also held roles in private equity at Levmark Capital and serves on the boards of the Apollo Theater Foundation. He is a graduate of Morehouse and has an MBA from Harvard Business School.
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Alumni Achievement