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THE CORPORATE TEAM
Headquartered in Washington, DC, Dîner en Noir Worldwide’s Corporate Executive Team provides strategic leadership for the organization’s global vision, mission development, licensing, and flagship events programming. This team safeguards the founding concept, core values, and long-term growth of the Dîner en Noir brand worldwide.
Across each Host City, Local Community Engagement Managers and Host-Organizers bring the DEN experience to life on the ground—infusing local culture, creativity, and community relationships into each experience while operating in alignment with the organization’s global standards and mission. This structure ensures consistency in purpose, excellence in execution, and authenticity in every market we serve.
Launched in 2016 across five Host Cities, Dîner en Noir has grown into a global movement spanning 22 Host City Communities across the United States, Africa, Paris, Barcelona, and London—and continuing to expand. With a network of more than 50,000 members worldwide, Dîner en Noir is more than a professional network; it is a platform redefining Black entrepreneurship, economic power, and cultural legacy on a global scale.
HOWARD NELSON CROMWELL
Founder & President
Howard is a seasoned producer of high-profile, high-end events as the Managing Director of The HNC Agency, a strategic communications & hospitality consulting firm. For over 20 years, he has created and hosted a wide range of experiences—from intimate fundraising dinners and charity galas to sports, elevated nightlife, and immersive experiential events—for organizations including the Autism Society of America, Stand Up 2 Cancer, Gucci, Bulgari, America’s Polo Cup, Johns Hopkins’ Kimmel Cancer Research Center, Bravo’s Real Housewives, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, rock band Journey, and the American Cancer Society, among many others.
A veteran of the fine dining industry, Howard was the proprietor of a successful Washington, DC supper club, completed intensive management programs with Wolfgang Puck and Starr Restaurant Group, and managed the celebrated & iconic DC landmark Le Diplomate. He has also produced exclusive dining events at The Newseum and The Smithsonian Museums, including the American Art, Air & Space, and American Indian Museums. Through The HNC Agency, he has represented and worked with hospitality giants such as The Ritz-Carlton, Four Seasons, Fig & Olive, Hard Rock Café, West End Bistro, and The Source by Wolfgang Puck. In 2025, he was named one of Blacks In Events Network’s Top 100 Black International Event Professionals, recognized for his global impact in the industry.
Howard’s passion for blending arts, popular culture, and community extends to media; he served as publisher and editor-in-chief of Most Fabulous Magazines Group, with publications in DC, Chicago, and Miami, and later spent three seasons as on-air talent, host, and co-executive producer of the Being Fabulous Rocks! TV program on The CW broadcast network.
Bringing 20 years of international hospitality experience, an eye for detail, a flair for the dramatic, and a love for connecting people, Howard inspires and motivates the Dîner en Noir Worldwide team, local Host-Organizers, and guests. His goal is to ensure every Dîner en Noir event reflects the organization’s mission while celebrating Black excellence.
A serial entrepreneur, Howard is President & CEO of HNC Enterprises, Inc., a group of entertainment, media, and hospitality companies with assets across the U.S., Europe & Africa. When not traveling for Dîner en Noir, he splits his time between Washington, DC, and Paris, France, remaining a passionate advocate, patron, and supporter of the arts and Black entrepreneurship.