Listed numerous times by New York’s major media as one of New York’s most
influential Black leaders, Rev. Dennis Dillon is an award-winning journalist,
entrepreneur, activist, and minister.
He has negotiated two of the nation’s largest community-corporation settlements
and co-authored one of America’s first Community Benefits Agreements (CBA’s)
around the Barclay Arena development in Brooklyn, New York. Working with
corporations like Polo Ralph Lauren, JPMorgan Chase, Macy*s, and PepsiCola, Rev.
Dillon has leveraged hundreds of millions of dollars in loans and grants to help
empower underserved and underrepresented communities.
He is the founder of the Black Church Means Business initiative, the House New
York campaign, the Economic Literacy Coalition, and the Greater New York
Chamber of Commerce.
Through The DOOR of Our Return initiative and the reSURGEnce Conference, he
continues to lead an African economic renaissance movement through business,
investment, and tourism alliances between the African continent and the African
Diaspora.
He is the author of several books, and lectures extensively on African and Urban
Economics. He is often credited as the pioneer of the Black Economic
Empowerment Movement in America. He is the publisher of The New York
Christian Times, pastor of Rise Church Global, and serves on the boards of several
organizations, including The Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce.
He is married to Dr. Zienzile Dillon and together they are parents to 5 adult
children.