Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 days ago
The Author Events Series presents Karla Trotman & Cheryl McKissack Daniel | Dark, Dirty, Dangerous & The Black Family Who Built America
In Conversation with Joann Bell
Karla Trotman is President and CEO of Electro Soft, Inc., a second-generation family business specializing in electronics contract manufacturing for defense, aviation, and transit markets. A passionate advocate for entrepreneurship as a path to building generational wealth and closing the Black wealth gap, Karla is the author of the #1 Amazon bestseller Dark, Dirty, Dangerous: Building the Vibrant Future of Manufacturing. She was named 2024 EY Entrepreneur of Year for Greater Philadelphia and serves on the boards of the Museum of the American Revolution, the Free Library of Philadelphia Foundation, and the African Women’s Entrepreneurship Cooperative. A member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Karla holds a B.S. in Business Logistics from Penn State and an MBA from Drexel University. Through her work and advocacy, she inspires the next generation to see manufacturing and entrepreneurship as vehicles for transforming communities and creating lasting economic impact.
Cheryl McKissack Daniel is Chair of the Board of McKissack & McKissack, the nation’s oldest minority- and woman-owned design and construction firm, and former President and CEO from 2000 to 2025. A fifth-generation builder, civil engineer, and author of The Black Family Who Built America (Simon & Schuster, August 2025), she leads the firm’s work across major infrastructure, healthcare, education, and transportation projects nationwide. A Howard University alumna, Cheryl is widely recognized for her leadership, board service, and commitment to equity, generational wealth, and inclusive growth.
Recorded March 3, 2026
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Podcast Archive: https://libwww.freelibrary.org/progra...
The views expressed by the authors and moderators are strictly their own and do not represent the opinions of the Free Library of Philadelphia or its employees.
The Author Events Series presents Karla Trotman & Cheryl McKissack Daniel | Dark, Dirty, Dangerous & The Black Family Who Built America
In Conversation with Joann Bell
Karla Trotman is President and CEO of Electro Soft, Inc., a second-generation family business specializing in electronics contract manufacturing for defense, aviation, and transit markets. A passionate advocate for entrepreneurship as a path to building generational wealth and closing the Black wealth gap, Karla is the author of the #1 Amazon bestseller Dark, Dirty, Dangerous: Building the Vibrant Future of Manufacturing. She was named 2024 EY Entrepreneur of Year for Greater Philadelphia and serves on the boards of the Museum of the American Revolution, the Free Library of Philadelphia Foundation, and the African Women’s Entrepreneurship Cooperative. A member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Karla holds a B.S. in Business Logistics from Penn State and an MBA from Drexel University. Through her work and advocacy, she inspires the next generation to see manufacturing and entrepreneurship as vehicles for transforming communities and creating lasting economic impact.
Cheryl McKissack Daniel is Chair of the Board of McKissack & McKissack, the nation’s oldest minority- and woman-owned design and construction firm, and former President and CEO from 2000 to 2025. A fifth-generation builder, civil engineer, and author of The Black Family Who Built America (Simon & Schuster, August 2025), she leads the firm’s work across major infrastructure, healthcare, education, and transportation projects nationwide. A Howard University alumna, Cheryl is widely recognized for her leadership, board service, and commitment to equity, generational wealth, and inclusive growth.
Recorded March 3, 2026
Facebook: / authorevents
Instagram: / flpauthorevents
Twitter: / authorevents
Podcast Archive: https://libwww.freelibrary.org/progra...
The views expressed by the authors and moderators are strictly their own and do not represent the opinions of the Free Library of Philadelphia or its employees.
