When I walked into the final stretch of the RICE Report process, I thought I was simply helping close out a publication. What I didn’t realize was that I was stepping into the culmination of a year’s worth of intention, innovation, and sweat equity. This is our story. A visual, narrative, and data-rich time capsule that captured the heartbeat of the Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs.
What began as a few powerful ideas became 72 pages of Black brilliance. Inside you’ll find the growth of our Stakeholders, the blueprint of a reimagined 80,000 sq. ft. legacy building, and the undeniable impact of supporting Black business from the inside out. At RICE, we don’t just say we build Black businesses, we show up for the people behind them too.
That’s why it meant everything to have two Black-owned businesses at the helm of this edition. Justin Carr, lead producer and founder of Carr & Co., brought the RICE Report to life with creative direction that elevated every photo and layout. And Charles Kelly of Perfect Image Printing made sure the final physical product was worthy of coffee tables, boardrooms, and Capitol Hill.
What I witnessed in the last six months has been the sheer definition of excellence and legacy-building in motion. This report preserves our progress, amplifies our Stakeholders, and reminds the world why RICE is a living, breathing ecosystem of possibility.
We built this together. And we’re just getting started.
