Tristan Walker: Companies Need a Plan to Serve Diverse Customers

Fed up with razor blades that irritated his skin, and tired of walking down “ethnic” beauty aisles, entrepreneur Tristan Walker decided to start his own company. In 2013 he launched Bevel, a suite of shaving products designed for Black men.  Walker & Company Brands was acquired by Procter & Gamble in 2018, making Tristan the first Black CEO of a P&G subsidiary.   In this episode of Leadership Next he tells Alan Murray and Ellen McGirt that he believes all companies should have a plan to serve customers of color. “Every company in 20 years, when folks of color become the majority in this country, if they do not have a plan to serve this audience with empathy, I believe that they will not exist.”  Walker believes the global pandemic may have accelerated opportunity for employees of color, and he shares his outlook on the likelihood of lasting change in the wake of this past summer’s social justice uprising. Also in the conversation: why Walker sold his startup to the giant P&G, his complicated feelings around venture capital, and advice for other Black entrepreneurs.