# Janice Bryant Howroyd

> Janice Bryant Howroyd is the American founder and CEO of ActOne Group, the workforce solutions enterprise whose businesses include AgileOne and AppleOne. She founded her staffing business in California in 1978 after working at Billboard and became recognized as the first Black woman to build and own a billion-dollar company. An author and host of Ask JBH, she supports education, mentorship and economic opportunity.

- **Role:** Founder and CEO at ActOne Group
- **Organizations:** ActOne Group, AgileOne (ActOne Group business), AppleOne (ActOne Group business), United Way Worldwide Board of Trustees, Los Angeles Urban League, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, Harvard Kennedy School Women’s Leadership Board (former chair), Delta Sigma Theta Sorority (honorary member)
- **From:** Tarboro, United States
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** B.A. in English, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University
- **Known for:** Recognized as the first Black woman to build and own a billion-dollar company., Built ActOne Group from a California staffing office into an international workforce solutions enterprise., BET Honors Entrepreneur Award recipient, 2008.

## Career timeline

- **1976** — Moved to Los Angeles and worked at Billboard magazine, initially as a temporary worker.
- **1978** — Founded ACT-1 Personnel Services in California; the business developed into ActOne Group.
- **2008** — Received the BET Honors Entrepreneur Award.
- **2009** — Published The Art of Work: How to Make Work, Work for You!
- **2016** — Named to President Barack Obama’s Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
- **2018** — Listed as Founder and CEO in AgileOne’s March 22 announcement naming five executives HRO Today Talent Acquisition Superstar Providers; the announcement identifies her as founder and CEO of parent ActOne Group.
- **2019** — Published Acting Up: Winning in Business and Life Using Down-Home Wisdom.
- **2021** — AgileOne announced Brian Clark as president, identifying Howroyd as the founder and CEO of parent ActOne Group.
- **2022** — Named Black Enterprise Woman of the Year.
- **2025** — Concluded three years as chair of Harvard Kennedy School’s Women’s Leadership Board; became an honorary member of Delta Sigma Theta; named a Visionary Founder Award honoree at HBCU Honors.
- **2026** — Received the Los Angeles Urban League’s Lifetime Achievement Award at its June 24 Whitney M. Young Jr. Awards celebration.

## Achievements

- Recognized as the first Black woman to build and own a billion-dollar company.
- Built ActOne Group from a California staffing office into an international workforce solutions enterprise.
- BET Honors Entrepreneur Award recipient, 2008.
- Black Enterprise Woman of the Year, 2022.
- Presidential appointment to the HBCU advisory board in 2016.
- HBCU Honors Visionary Founder Award honoree, 2025.
- Honorary membership in Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, 2025.
- Los Angeles Urban League Lifetime Achievement Award, 2026.

## Latest updates

- **2026-10** — Published the Ask JBH solo episode Mentorship & Influence on October 20, following Delegating Judgment on October 1.
- **2026-08** — Published a LinkedIn essay on teaching and employee development on August 31.
- **2026-06** — Received the Los Angeles Urban League Lifetime Achievement Award at the June 24 Whitney M. Young Jr. Awards celebration.
- **2025-11** — Named the Visionary Founder Award honoree for the 2025 HBCU Honors broadcast.
- **2025-07** — Inducted as an honorary member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.

## Links

- Website: https://askjbh.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janicebryanthowroyd/
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/JBryantHowroyd
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@askjbh
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jbryanthowroyd/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JaniceBryantHowroyd
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jbryanthowroyd

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/janice-bryant-howroyd
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-23