Maurice Wilson II Went from Commissioned Officer in the Army to an Entrepreneur Giving Back to Other Black Owned Businesses. Find Out More Below.

Maurice Wilson II Went from Commissioned Officer in the Army to an Entrepreneur Giving Back to Other Black Owned Businesses. Find Out More Below.

For many black owned businesses, there are very limited resources out there that are designed to help black entrepreneurs succeed. Because of this, economic downturn, like that caused by the pandemic, takes a particularly large toll on black business owners that almost certainly removes them from the world of business. However, there are many people out there trying to change this reality. 

One of these people is Maurice Wilson II. A former Commissioned Officer in the United States Arm. Maurice  was tired of seeing people who look like him constantly pushed out of the market. He knew that he had a particular set of tools and experience that had made him an exception to the rule in terms of becoming successful. 

“My story is not one of  rags to riches. It’s a story of creating a way for myself then utilizing the acclaim and position of power to radically impact people who look like me. As I began to grow in my career, I recognized that people are enamored with the exception. They love and exalt the exception which I had beat the odds and become. However, most were exalting the exception to ignore the reality that the rules are disproportionate and the practices whether intended or unintended are similar. I realized I could not be an exception. I must be someone who could change the rules,” Maurice explains.

However, Maurice saw the problem that he himself had had to surpass as a black business owner. At the end of every day, he wondered why people were not doing more to help others in the business space. Instead, there was constant talk, but never any change. Maurice realized that he had to more than just be an exception to the rule, he had to employ his skills to help others around him.

There was too much talk about the problem. Too much debate and not enough work. I believed if I couldn’t prove that investing in people like me could work then I should stop talking. I have always been a conduit for good. When leaders were struggling, when vp’s needed strategy, when engagement was in the tank, I was always sought out. I wanted to use this same energy in ways that help most. I now own an investment company that seeks to help small black owned businesses,” Maurice details.

Maurice shares a bit of his advice that he passes on to his clients: believe in yourself and lead with love. 

“The biggest challenge is believing in yourself.  Most of us are taught to take the safe route.  We see so little opportunity for those who share our circumstances that when we get anything we hold on to it tightly. Being an entrepreneur is the exact opposite so you have to build new muscle every day,” Maurice advises.

To find out more about Maurice and all that he has planned for the future, follow him on instagram here.