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THE CORPORATE TEAM
Headquartered in Washington, DC, the Dîner en Noir Worldwide Corporate Executive Team provides strategic leadership for the organization’s global ecosystem—guiding mission development, licensing, community activation, and flagship programming. This team ensures that the DEN model remains true to its current vision: building interconnected micro-economies that convert connection into measurable economic opportunity, amplify Black enterprise, and reinvest collective power into communities worldwide.
Across each Host City, local Community Engagement Managers and Host-Organizers operationalize the ecosystem on the ground—curating experiences, fostering partnerships, and activating local networks in ways that are culturally authentic and economically impactful. This decentralized yet coordinated structure maintains global standards while allowing each city to function as a thriving micro-economy within the larger DEN network.
Since its launch in 2016 across five Host Cities, Dîner en Noir has grown into a global ecosystem spanning 22 Host City Communities across the United States, Africa, Paris, Barcelona, and London—and continues to expand. With a network of more than 50,000 members worldwide, DEN is more than a professional network or events platform; it is a culture-driven infrastructure designed to strengthen Black entrepreneurship, expand economic influence, and sustain lasting community impact across markets and continents.
HOWARD NELSON CROMWELL
Founder & President
Howard Nelson Cromwell is a hospitality executive, revenue strategist, and ecosystem builder with more than two decades of experience operating at the intersection of culture, commerce, and community impact.
As Managing Director of The HNC Agency, a strategic communications and hospitality consulting firm, Howard has produced and led high-profile, revenue-generating experiences ranging from intimate philanthropic dinners to large-scale galas, sports properties, luxury brand activations, and immersive cultural events. His portfolio includes work with organizations such as the Autism Society of America, Stand Up 2 Cancer, Gucci, Bulgari, Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, and internationally recognized entertainment and hospitality brands.
A veteran restaurant operator and Director of Operations, Howard has overseen hospitality enterprises generating from $4.5 - $40 million in annual revenue. His expertise spans full P&L management, multi-unit leadership, revenue optimization, business development, and operational scaling. He has opened and repositioned high-performing concepts, completed advanced management training with Wolfgang Puck Fine Dining Group and STARR Restaurants, and managed iconic establishments including Le Diplomate.
This foundation in disciplined operations and revenue generation directly informs his leadership of Dîner en Noir Worldwide. Howard did not design DEN as a social club or event series; he structured it as a scalable economic ecosystem—one engineered to convert cultural capital into measurable economic opportunity and sustained community reinvestment.
Howard’s work has also extended into media and cultural storytelling. As former publisher and editor-in-chief of Most Fabulous Magazines Group, with editions in DC, Chicago, and Miami, and later as on-air host and co-executive producer of Being Fabulous Rocks! on The CW, he has consistently leveraged media platforms to amplify culture and community leadership.
In 2025, he was recognized as one of the Top 100 Black International Event Professionals by Blacks In Events Network, honoring his global industry impact.
A serial entrepreneur, Howard is the President & CEO of HNC Enterprises, Inc., where he oversees a dynamic portfolio of entertainment, media, and hospitality ventures spanning the United States, Europe, and Africa—building cross-market platforms that connect culture, commerce, and community. He divides his time between Washington, DC, and Paris, continuing to champion arts, entrepreneurship, and the intentional building of economic infrastructure within Black communities worldwide.