Morehouse College Graduate Told Steve Harvey He’d Help Make Him $1B

Thabiti Stephens is keeping good on a promise that he made to Steve Harvey.

Stephens currently oversees international business as chief strategy officer for Steve Harvey Global. After joining the brand in 2015, he swiftly went from chief of staff in 2017 to international business development director in 2019. His rise in rank is just one of the many tremendous wins on his resume, including acquiring the rights to Family Feud South Africa and Ghana.

The Atlanta native and Morehouse College graduate is no stranger to leading the charge. His multi-faceted business expertise is a reflection of his business mind.

In 2010, Stephens created an affordable shoe company that was previously featured in BLACK ENTERPRISE. Dubbed Steps by Stephens LLC, growing sales for the line of unisex leather and canvas shoes equated to food donations and charitable contributions.

“I knew that I wanted to start a company that focused on giving back,” Stephens said.

Five years later, Stephens met the famous father of his college classmate, Broderick Harvey Jr. He recalled telling Harvey that he had options to attend two Ivy league institutions until the entertainer presented him with a life-changing proposition.

“When I signed up, I told Mr. Harvey, ‘I’m gonna help you make a billion dollars and then I’m gonna part ways and do my own thing,’” Stephens told AfroTech.

“Right now, we have done very good on that journey.”

“We probably have nine, or a few $100 millions more to go, but right now, I’m extremely happy to be in a position where I’m learning. Every day, I’m blessed to be the youngest in the room and building a name for myself working with presidents of countries, nations, and companies,” he continued.

“In the next five years, I’m really just going with the wind.”

“I have the opportunity right now to build something great.”