THE DESIGNATED SURVIVOR
Inc.|September 2020
How I stepped up to guide my daughter’s company in the middle of a pandemic.
THE DESIGNATED SURVIVOR

Sheila Kavanaugh

TKT & Associates

THREE-YEAR GROWTH 11,106.7%

It seemed like a natural progression to Tierra Kavanaugh’s family. In 2006, she left her position as executive director for then-Kentucky governor Ernie Fletcher’s newly created Office of Minority Empowerment to launch her own business, Louisville-based consultancy and staffing service TKT & Associates. She had one co-founder—her mother, Sheila Kavanaugh.

Over the next 14 years, TKT grew to roughly 250 employees as it managed diversity spending and training and offered staffing services for cities, states, and Fortune 500 companies, including Deloitte and Toyota. From 2016 to 2019, TKT increased revenue a whopping 11,106.7 percent, earning the $135 million company a spot at No. 20 on the Inc. 500—the highest ranking ever achieved by a Black female founder.

At the onset of the pandemic, the quickly growing company labored unsuccessfully to secure Payroll Protection Program funding from Kentucky banks. Kavanaugh and members of her team began conversations to reassess strategic goals and shore up any emergency planning. Then, on April 30, four months before Inc. had finalized TKT’s historic place on our list, Kavanaugh died unexpectedly of natural causes, leaving her mother, the company’s executive vice president, in charge of keeping her daughter’s legacy, and the company, alive.

I was a VP and human resources manager at TKTbefore my daughter passed. As co-founders, Tierra and I talked about succession planning. We just naturally assumed I would leave first. Now, I’m running TKT.

この記事は Inc. の September 2020 版に掲載されています。

7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。

この記事は Inc. の September 2020 版に掲載されています。

7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。

INC.のその他の記事すべて表示
Lift Off - Would you pay $50,000 to touch the edge of space?
Inc.

Lift Off - Would you pay $50,000 to touch the edge of space?

Would you pay $50,000 to touch the edge of space? Meet the entrepreneurs providing a rarified clientele with a luxurious, once-in-a-lifetime journey.So you want to go to space. To take in the expansive curvature of the Earth glowing miles above the atmosphere, surrounded by pure darkness. To experience the mind-altering overview effect described by astronauts as a transcendent state of awe, staring back at the planet on which you've inhaled your every living breath.

time-read
10+ 分  |
November 2024
There Will Always be Those Who Doubt You and Your Vision. Here's How to Tune Them Out. - Recently, I invited an experienced luxury hotelier to visit the new campus we were building near Santa Fe for Modern Elder Academy,
Inc.

There Will Always be Those Who Doubt You and Your Vision. Here's How to Tune Them Out. - Recently, I invited an experienced luxury hotelier to visit the new campus we were building near Santa Fe for Modern Elder Academy,

Recently, I invited an experienced luxury hotelier to visit the new campus we were building near Santa Fe for Modern Elder Academy, the midlife wisdom school I co-founded in 2018.

time-read
3 分  |
November 2024
A Scientific Discovery that Unlocks Your Body's Healing Power
Inc.

A Scientific Discovery that Unlocks Your Body's Healing Power

The founder of Stemregen, a company that creates powerful supplements that stimulate the body's natural repair system, explains how a \"fringe idea\" opened up a new world of stem cell therapy.

time-read
2 分  |
November 2024
Transformative Growth: Agency Masters the Art of Evolution
Inc.

Transformative Growth: Agency Masters the Art of Evolution

As a destination marketer, Awestruck has mapped out a journey to success by constantly developing its services and its staff.

time-read
3 分  |
November 2024
For the Love of the Restaurant Experience
Inc.

For the Love of the Restaurant Experience

The founder and CEO of DJB Hospitality shares his passion for the challenging and uniquely rewarding hospitality industry.

time-read
2 分  |
November 2024
Custom PEO Solutions for Blue-Collar Industries
Inc.

Custom PEO Solutions for Blue-Collar Industries

COMPEO is an HR management solutions provider with a jaw-dropping five-figure growth rate.

time-read
2 分  |
November 2024
Homebuying Was BrokenMeet the Founders Here to Fix It
Inc.

Homebuying Was BrokenMeet the Founders Here to Fix It

Cecilian Partners is a fast-growing technology firm providing end-to-end solutions for production homebuilders and land developers.

time-read
2 分  |
November 2024
A Focus on Complete Solutions for Regulatory Environments
Inc.

A Focus on Complete Solutions for Regulatory Environments

The Northcross Group develops sustainable processes for clients with compliance needs.

time-read
2 分  |
November 2024
An AI Startup That Sanctifies Time
Inc.

An AI Startup That Sanctifies Time

Created around the idea that time is sacred, Laurel helps clients reclaim it so they can make more money in less time.

time-read
2 分  |
November 2024
The Former Wall Street Analyst Teaching Wealth-Building to the Masses
Inc.

The Former Wall Street Analyst Teaching Wealth-Building to the Masses

Empify is a fintech startup providing financial education tools and resources for the 99 percent Wall Street often overlooks.

time-read
2 分  |
November 2024