Sharon Bowen’s 2024 Call To Bold Leadership Still Rings True In 2025: ‘Failure Is The Fertilizer for Growth’

by Gee NY

Nearly a year after thought-provoking comments at AfroTech 2024, Sharon Bowen, Chair of the New York Stock Exchange, continues to inspire a new generation of leaders with a timeless message: now is not the time to shrink — it’s the time to shine.

In an unscripted address that continues to resonate in boardrooms and corner offices alike, Bowen declared, “Failure is the fertilizer for growth and success,” reminding executives and entrepreneurs that true leadership is defined not by ease but by courage, clarity, and conviction.

“We have to be even more vocal and even more visible to seize the moment,” Bowen told attendees at the 2024 AfroTech Conference. “Define your own path. Don’t let other people limit you.”

As America transitions through new political and economic leadership in 2025, her message rings louder than ever. Bowen urged Black professionals and leaders of color not to retreat in the face of setbacks, but to double down on what matters most, leveraging both triumphs and stumbles as tools for transformation.

“More than ever, we need leaders like those of you in this room to step up to the plate,” she said. “It’s not time to retreat… get out there and make a difference.”

Her remarks, made shortly after a turbulent political shift and the ushering in of a new presidential administration, were more than motivational — they were a blueprint for leadership in uncertain times.

A Leader with a Legacy of Firsts

Sharon Bowen became the first Black woman to chair the NYSE in 2021, following her tenure as a Commissioner of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

She has since become a leading voice on inclusion, transparency, and economic equity in the financial sector.

AfroTech’s Impact Continues
AfroTech remains a cornerstone conference for Black excellence in tech, finance, and innovation.

Bowen’s AfroTech 2024 remarks, though nearly a year old, continue to shape how corporate leaders navigate today’s volatile landscape, with resilience, visibility, and vision.

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