Janice Bryant Howroyd, born on September 1, 1952, is a renowned entrepreneur and businesswoman. She founded The ActOne Group, the largest privately held, minority-woman-owned personnel company in the U.S., making her the first African-American woman to build and own a billion-dollar company. Raised in Tarboro, North Carolina, as the fourth of 11 children, she was among the first African American students to integrate her high school. In 1976, Howroyd moved to Los Angeles and worked as a temporary secretary at Billboard magazine. There, she was introduced to business executives and workplace diversity, which inspired her to start her own business. In 1978, with around $1,000, she founded The ACT 1 Group, a company that offers a variety of personnel and recruiting services. The company has grown to include divisions such as AppleOne, All's Well, AT-Tech, and others, serving multiple industries. Howroyd is also involved in several organizations, serving as an ambassador for the Department of Energy's Minorities in Energy Initiative and on boards such as the Women's Business Enterprise National Council and the Los Angeles Urban League. In 2016, she was appointed by President Barack Obama to the President's Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities. She has authored books, including The Art of Work and Acting Up, and has received numerous awards, such as the 2016 Black Enterprise A.G. Gaston Award and the 2022 Women's Entrepreneurship Day Organization Business Pioneer Award. Howroyd is celebrated as a trailblazer and innovator in her field. Her work as an entrepreneur has highlighted her as an individual who is leaving a meaningful impact on the world.

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