J Paul Johnson

Biography

J. Paul Johnson is an entrepreneur, economist, and Founder of BlackEverything.com, a digital ecosystem preserving Black culture, history, commerce, and intellectual capital. A Texas Southern University graduate, he previously served as Vice President at Chase Bank, Chief Operating Officer of a Houston school district, and Chairman of Texas Southern University's Board of Regents. His work bridges finance, technology, and community development to advance cultural preservation, economic opportunity, and collective ownership. Johnson is committed to helping Black communities own their stories and build generational wealth.

Sessions

1. OURstory, NOT HIStory

   Fri, Nov 6, 10:30 AM – 11:15 AM CT

   Track Smart Cities

   Who tells a community's story shapes who gets to define its future. As cities evolve through technological innovation, infrastructure investment, and economic development, whose voices are shaping the vision—and whose stories are being left behind? Join J Paul Johnson, Founder of BlackEverything.com, and Michael Hawthorne Jr., Co-Founder of Klean Energy Kulture, with Sean Wilson, National Director of Organizing and Partnerships at Dream.Org, moderating. Together, they'll explore storytelling as essential infrastructure—a tool for preserving community history, elevating lived experience, building collective power, and influencing how cities invest and grow. From cultural preservation and climate storytelling to community organizing and economic opportunity, this conversation examines how residents can move beyond being subjects of change to becoming authors of their communities' futures. Because building smarter cities isn't just about what we build. It's about whose stories, voices, and visions guide the way.