01/02/2025
Guyanese Asahi Pompey is the highest-ranking Black person at Goldman Sachs and she recently earned a well-deserved spot on the December 2024 inaugural ForbesBLK 50 list, celebrating the wealthiest and most impactful African Americans, reshaping industries, driving change, and inspiring communities. Sharing this coveted honor with global female icons like Beyoncé, Rihanna, Oprah Winfrey, and Shonda Rhimes, and trailblazing entrepreneurs like Iman Abuzeid, Thasunda Brown Duckett, and Mellody Hobson, Pompey stands out as a corporate powerhouse, philanthropist, and role model.
Born in Guyana, Pompey’s family emigrated to Brooklyn, New York, when she was 9. Her early life was a masterclass in perseverance and the profound impact of education. With a family steeped in academia—her father and many relatives were educators—she was instilled with the belief that education was the key to transcending limitations. An Oak Leaf Award recipient, Pompey earned a B.A. in political science at Swarthmore College and holds a J.D. from Columbia Law School. She attended high school in Japan thanks to a scholarship from the American Field Service—a Goldman Sachs Gives program grantee. She has also worked as a corporate attorney in Frankfurt, Germany.
Pompey joined Goldman Sachs in 2006, quickly ascending to Managing Director and Partner by 2018. As President of the Goldman Sachs Foundation, she oversees a $2 billion annual philanthropic arm dedicated to empowering communities through groundbreaking initiatives like the One Million Black Women Program, a $10 billion commitment to fostering economic opportunities for Black women. Her portfolio extends to leading the 10,000 Women Initiative, which provides women entrepreneurs in developing economies access to education and capital, and the 10,000 Small Businesses program, aimed at supporting small enterprises in underserved communities.
For Asahi’s full story visit www.guyanesegirlsrock.com
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