The third annual AL DÍA 40 Under Forty event serves to highlight and showcase some of the most diverse and impactful young professionals across the Philadelphia region. 

At this year's event, taking place Friday, Aug. 26, Rashaad Lambert will be one of the 40 honorees. 

Biography

Rashaad Lambert is Senior Executive Vice President at Forbes. An award-winning marketing architect, philanthropist and community builder, Lambert has aimed to level the playing field for Black professionals and create more equitable pathways through his expertise in marketing, diversity & inclusion, and corporate consulting. 

Lambert is the founder of For(bes) The Culture, an organization that serves to help current and future leaders of color to connect, collaborate and drive change within underrepresented communities. Since its inception in 2017, For(bes) The Culture has grown organically to welcome thousands of members and expanded its popular in-person #CultureTalks platform to Instagram where high-profile leaders across diverse industries and sectors are featured. 

He is also serves as Strategic Partner of Social Impact at TD Bank.

A serial entrepreneur, Lambert is also the founder of Sporty Marketing Group, the world's only six sigma marketing agency; founded CultureMakers Inc., a global agency executing cultural initiatives for institutions; co-founded Trifecta MMM, which focuses on sports and entertainment media, marketing and management; and Lambert Legacy Charities, a nonprofit organization created to help alleviate deep poverty in Southeastern Pennsylvania. The nonprofit has served over 50,000 people. 

As part of the lead-up to the AL DÍA 40 Under Forty event, AL DÍA asked each of the honorees a set of identical questions and collected their responses. 

Here are Rashaad Lambert's responses: 

What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced in your professional career? 

One of the biggest challenges I’ve encountered in my professional career has been showing up and being accepted as my authentic self. Being a Black man knocking down doors in traditionally white, or sometimes just non Black, spaces, made me a target for ridicule and criticism on both sides. Walking the fine line between “being a real one” and getting the deal done. The best part of that is that it opened doors for others so it was all worth it. 

What are steps that can be taken to improve diversity, equity and inclusion in your industry? Why is it important to do so?

Honestly, this article won’t have enough space for all of the steps so I’ll start with the bottom line. There needs to be more accountability and action taken to remove the vast amount micro aggressive policies towards people of color that are baked into American corporate structure. The system of white supremacy itself needs to be dismantled, but I mean especially as it relates to how that dark history of America has shaped the way we work, live, and how businesses are run such as: HR Hiring practices, PTO policies, and holiday observances all the way down to sensitivity seminars for race related current events. Nobody should be forced to work in an environment that’s only designed to benefit one type of person. 

What does being a leader mean to you? 

To me, being a leader is about providing an example for others to model after and a path for others to walk. Leadership is about utilizing information from mentors, subordinates, & peers to make the tough but necessary decisions for the greater good, using life experiences to fuel foresight, and translating that foresight into a shareable vision. The best leaders lead from behind because they are lifting as they climb. Pushing the next generation into leadership positions. 

Where do you see yourself in five years?

I'm actually currently ahead of my last 5-year plan, so 5 years from now will be 2027 and outside of continuing to push the culture forward myself and creating opportunities for the current and next generations, those who I’ve had the pleasure to mentor/help will be on their path to leadership, and I’ll be moving further away from visibility to make room for them. One of the greatest disservices the previous generation did to us was not knowing when it was their time to step down and allow us to step up. Now that we’ve made our own way, I know better than to make that same mistake. 

The 2022 AL DÍA 40 Under Forty event will take place Friday, Aug. 26 at The Vie at Cescaphe. To learn more or purchase your ticket, click here.