From the Block to the Boardroom

02/11/2026

Thank you, Rev. Charles Boyer & the Salvation and Social Justice team for this recognition. It’s truly an honor to be recognized by an organization I consider the most powerful Black, faith-led organization in New Jersey. ✊🏿

My connection to this work runs deep. I’ve been blessed to not only serve on the board for more than five years but had the honor to actually go to work for a year to help recruit and launch the Trenton Restorative Street Team. Training alongside the credible messengers of the Newark Community Street Team and others was life-changing.

Black power, Black economic power and Black liberation have always been foundational to my life story. To be honored by an organization that puts those principles into action makes this recognition especially meaningful.

Salute to my fellow honorees and everyone doing the work. It’s on ’til liberation. ✊🏿



http://sandsj.org/awards-gala

27/10/2026

"Unsuccessful people think the game is rigged. Successful people KNOW the game is rigged and then play to win.” GEM 💎

One of the most profound quotes I’ve ever heard. When you’ve lived a life from the block to the boardroom, you understand exactly what that means.

There’s an underground economy and there’s a Main Street economy. Both operate on relationships, access, supply, demand and knowing who controls what.

And yes, I’ll say it...both are a GAME.

The underground economy is a game with lower rewards and higher risks. You can lose your money, your freedom, or your life. I’ve paid that price a couple of times over.

The mainstream economy gives you a chance to use those same instincts, discipline and hustle to build legitimate businesses, own property, employ people and create wealth. Lower risk. Higher rewards. Something you can actually leave your family.

But you have to learn the rules. You have to understand ownership, financing, contracts, and how decisions get made.

Knowing the game is rigged doesn’t mean you stop challenging it. It means you stop waiting for it to become fair before you make your move.

I’ve learned a few things From the Block to the Boardroom. One of them is this...understanding the game puts you in a better position to win. 💎

15/07/2026

There have been a lot of questions and inquires, so I wanted to share this with my hometown.

The deal to purchase the real estate and liquor license that would have brought Booker’s to downtown Trenton has officially fallen through.

No blame. No hard feelings. That’s business.

Moments like this remind me of a lesson I’ve learned over more than two decades of negotiating real estate transactions and business acquisitions....every deal doesn’t make it to the closing table.

I’ve experienced both sides of that reality. Some of you may remember back in 2011 when we lost a $8 million real estate acquisition after a Mayoral candidate that I didn't support won. It stung. But on the other side of the coin in 2023, we successfully closed a $3.3 million deal in Philadelphia. That’s the nature of entrepreneurship. You win some. You lose some. Then you get back to work.

What people often don’t see are the deals that never happen....the legal fees, the deposits, the countless hours and yes, sometimes the money you lose simply because you had the courage to take the shot. Those moments shape you just as much as the wins.

Because of that, I firmly believe what’s meant for me will never miss me. If a door closes, it’s because another opportunity is waiting for me to have the courage to knock.

And that belief is already playing out. While this deal was falling apart, we submitted a proposal to develop nine homes in West Trenton, we will see where that goes. At the same time, we had an offer accepted on a home in Africa that will become part of our international cultural tour experiences. Business doesn’t stop because one opportunity does.

Through it all, one thing remains constant...I’ve called Trenton home for more than 60 years. My love for this city has never been tied to one project, one building, or one deal. It’s tied to the people and to my belief that Trenton’s best days are still ahead.

So to every entrepreneur reading this...don’t let one deal define you. Success isn’t built on never losing. It’s built on having the courage to keep negotiating, keep building and keep believing.

The game continues… and so do I.

I'm not self made, I'm community built.

06/07/2026

From the Block to the Boardroom Lesson on Management:

Consistency is not optional.

Everybody wants to manage a team, run a business, lead an organization or sit at the head of the table but the first person you have to learn how to manage is yourself.

If you can’t manage your own time, your own attitude, your own discipline, your own emotions and your own follow through, you are not ready to manage people.

Leadership starts in the mirror.

A team does not just listen to what you say. They watch what you do. They watch how you show up. They watch if your word means something. They watch if you are steady when things get hard.

You cannot build a strong team with weak habits.

Management is not about titles. It is about consistency, accountability, communication and the power of example.

Before you ask people to follow you, make sure you are leading yourself.

That is the real work.

02/07/2026

Entrepreneurship is not just about starting a business. For formerly incarcerated people, entrepreneurship is about reclaiming power, rebuilding identity and proving that our past does not disqualify us from building the future.

People from impacted communities bring something to the marketplace that cannot be taught in a classroom: lived experience. We understand survival. We understand pressure. We understand how to solve problems with limited resources, how to read people, how to move through adversity, and how to create opportunity where none was handed to us. That is not a liability. That is a competitive advantage.

Sitting on a panel with three successful formerly incarcerated entrepreneurs was a reminder of the power we bring to the table when we are given access, opportunity, and room to lead. We are not asking for charity. We are bringing strategy, resilience, creativity, and real world experience that this economy needs.

All across this country, formerly incarcerated individuals are becoming CEOs, educators, advocates, business owners and federal, state, and local elected officials. In Florida, we are even seeing a formerly incarcerated trailblazer take a run at the governor’s seat. That is not just progress. That is transformation.

I teach entrepreneurship because I have seen what ownership can do. I have seen the success stories across this country....leaders like Glenn Martin, Chef Jeff, Stanley Richards, and the late great entrepreneur Lorenzo Stewart. These stories matter because they show our people what is possible when talent meets opportunity and purpose meets preparation.

The truth is simple: we don’t just deserve a seat at the table. We have the experience, the vision, and the grit to build the table ourselves.

23/06/2026

Today was special.

I want to sincerely thank the Foundation Academy Collegiate Board of Trustees, CEO Sheria McRae, faculty, staff, families and everyone who helped make this graduation ceremony possible. It was an honor to stand before the graduating Class of 2026 and deliver the keynote address.

I challenged this class to understand that they are stepping into the world at a critical time in our nation’s history. Every generation is called to protect something. Every generation is handed a moment where silence is not an option. And this generation must be prepared to stand up, speak up, and show up when freedom, justice, truth, and democracy are under attack.

I reminded them they are not just the leaders of tomorrow. They are the guardians of right now.

A special congratulations to A’myah Spears, Magna Cum Laude, and Catherine Argudo, Summa Cum Laude. Two brilliant young women whose futures are not just bright — they are blazing.

To the Class of 2026, walk boldly. Think critically. Lead with courage. Protect your dreams, protect your communities, and never forget that the world does not change because people watch from the sidelines. It changes because somebody decides to step forward.

Today, I saw a class ready to step forward.

Congratulations, Foundation Academy Collegiate Class of 2026. The future is calling....answer it with power.

16/06/2026

First, I want to thank Uplift Solutions for honoring me as a 2026 Transforming Justice Award Honoree.

I don’t take this recognition lightly because the work is personal. Re-entry is not a theory to me. It is lived experience. It is the difference between a person coming home with a plan or coming home to the same traps that were waiting before they left.

Tomorrow at 11:30 AM, I’ll be conducting a workshop on Entrepreneurship After Incarceration because I know firsthand that ownership can change the entire direction of a person’s life. Later that afternoon, I’ll join a powerful panel discussion with two other formerly incarcerated serial entrepreneurs who turned their setbacks into strategy and their pain into purpose.

This is what real transformation looks like.

Congratulations to Uplift Solutions for continuing to do the work in the community not just talking about re-entry, but providing real solutions, real support, and real answers for people coming home.

We don’t need more slogans. We need systems that work. We need opportunities that open doors. We need investment in people who have already paid their debt and are ready to build.

I’m honored to stand in this space, share what I’ve learned, and continue pushing the message that a person’s past should never have the final word over their future.

14/06/2026

Yesterday’s 2nd NWA Black Wall Street Brunch was a powerful reminder that information is still one of the greatest forms of currency.

Thank you to everyone who showed up, leaned in, took notes, asked questions and made the room what it was supposed to be.....a table of builders, owners, dreamers and doers.

A special thank you to Dr. Randal Pinkett, who didn’t just deliver a keynote speech, he taught a college course on business, ownership and the future of AI. The wisdom, clarity and strategy he poured into that room was priceless.

Thank you as well to our esteemed panelists
Marcus Bullock, Nikki Haley, Yvette Reid and Marquesa Blackstone who all shared real expertise in business, real estate, technology, access to capital and wealth building. None of you held back and the attendees are better because of it.

I’ve said it before and I’ll keep saying it...in order to eat, you’ve got to be at the table.

Yesterday, the spread was laid. And those who were in attendance were richly fed with knowledge, relationships, strategy and vision.

This is how we build a new Black Wall Street in real time. Not just by talking about ownership, but by gathering, learning, executing and making sure the next generation sees what is possible.

Special thanks to the New Wealth Alliance(N.W.A.) team Dontae Thomas, Meet Pete, Been Him, Craig Mitchell, Quayshaun Williams and Omar Aikens for another informative event...the work continues.

12/06/2026

This brunch is more than a meal. It is a movement. It is a conversation about what we own, what we build, what we protect, and what we leave behind. 💰

If we are serious about building a stronger community and a greater future, we must show up, learn, connect and move with intention.

Register today. Space is limited. Inbox me for tickets. 🎟️

New Wealth Alliance Black Wall Street Brunch
June 13 | 11 AM – 3 PM
Cooper’s Riverview | Riverview Room



Link for tickets 👇🏿👇🏿👇🏿👇🏿👇🏿

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/black-wall-street-brunch-ii-tickets-1987460836864?utm_experiment=test_share_listing&aff=ebdsshios&sg=fd3af029154216bfe1beb8222476b23cd4525b8b45c9f285136626d8741e908c82ee46dcc1b39b0ec12230d0c91c497385d7fa3b382dc8b5c328eadaabfe4b722acad2c135060111acc0cf9459b0&fbclid=IwZnRzaASY4nVleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEeyZJ7-9tDKFp9MtpBQNuHgFm6MpcylcWiqWMxSHXVINXkcPi5UmDSrW3vV_Y_aem_O22Kldg-2hhNzKOHynkQNA

https://trentonjournal.com/tracey-d-syphax-is-committed-to-bringing-black-wall-street-vibes-to-trenton/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQKNjYyODU2ODM3OQABHsrDIrXKz-DsNTQ511-cuFIu7ntFZVnW5RYWSynHlMHPO3zgfOwq9YcsS-G0_aem_97pC6gMPd-C7p6rebqbNlw

Tracey D. Syphax (center right) and the men who agreed to start New Wealth Alliance. Photo courtesy of Tracey D. Syphax. The name Tracey D. Syphax is The name Tracey D. Syphax is synonymous with perseverance. He’s an award-winning entrepreneur, real estate developer, author, and justice-reform adv...

01/06/2026

A little history Phax.

June is officially recognized in Philadelphia as Re-entry Awareness Month, but the roots of this movement go back to 2014, when two Traceys.... Tracey L Fisher and Tracey D. Syphax decided that June would be the month we recognize returning citizens, second chances and the power of redemption.

At 12 noon in June 2014, we stood together across cities...Philadelphia, Trenton, Atlanta and New York to declare that people coming home deserved more than a handshake and a bus ticket.

They deserved dignity.
Opportunity.
Housing.
Employment.
Support.
And a real pathway back into their communities.

I want to especially honor my brother, Tracy L. Fisher, the late CEO of Gateway to Re-entry in Philadelphia. Tracy was a soldier in this work. He understood the pain, the barriers, the politics, and the promise of reentry. He gave his life to making sure returning citizens were not forgotten, written off, or left behind.

Though Tracy Fisher is no longer with us physically, his work still walks the streets of Philadelphia. It lives in every person who came home and found support. It lives in every organization still fighting for justice. It lives in Gateway to Re-entry, the Philadelphia Reentry Coalition, R.I.S.E., Uplift Solutions and the many community-based organizations doing the work every single day.

By 2017, Philadelphia City Council officially recognized June as Re-entry Awareness Month, but that recognition did not come out of thin air. It came from years of organizing, advocacy, sacrifice and people willing to stand in the gap for returning citizens when it was not popular.

Reentry is not just a policy issue. It is a human issue. It is a family issue. It is a community issue. And for many of us, it is personal.

As we enter June, I salute every returning citizen who is rebuilding their life, every family holding things together, every advocate still pushing and every organization doing the hard work without always getting the spotlight.

And today, I say the name of my brother: Tracy L. Fisher(RIP)

His work continues.His legacy continues.The movement continues.