Janice Bryant Howroyd was just a young girl in North Carolina when she first learned what it meant to face limits that were never of her own making. One of 11 children raised during the era of segregation, she sat in classrooms with hand-me-down textbooks and cracked desks, but she carried the words of her parents like armor. Her father taught her she was smart enough to learn anything. Her mother taught her she had a duty to make things better for whoever came next.
Those lessons became the foundation of her entire life.
Years later, after moving to Los Angeles as a young woman seeking new opportunities, Janice found herself working as a temporary secretary at Billboard magazine. The job was simple, but she noticed something others did not. Executives, creatives, and industry leaders needed better staffing support. And no one was serving them.
Meet Janice Bryant Howroyd, Founder and CEO of ActOne Group.
From a Segregated Childhood to a National Vision
Before she was leading a global workforce empire, Janice was a child navigating the harsh realities of the American South. Growing up in the small town of Tarboro meant facing daily reminders of a world that treated Black students as afterthoughts. Their schoolbooks were torn. Their classrooms were neglected. Their opportunities were few.
But her home was different.
Her parents insisted that knowledge was power and service was purpose. Her father reminded her daily that brilliance belonged to her as much as anyone else. Her mother taught her to repair the worn pages of her textbooks so that younger students could learn from something better than what she was given.
By the time Janice left North Carolina, she understood two things. First, she could learn anything. Second, she could build anything.
From a $900 Loan to a Global Company
In 1976, Janice arrived in Los Angeles carrying nothing but ambition and the work ethic of a woman raised to outthink and outwork any obstacle. Her job at Billboard gave her a front row seat to a powerful insight. Successful people needed help sourcing talent. There was a clear demand, but no clear supply.
With just $900 borrowed from her mother, Janice bought a fax machine, secured a tiny office space in front of a rug shop in Beverly Hills, and decided to build the company she could not stop imagining.
She had no formal business training. But she had discipline.
As the service economy expanded, so did her business. ActOne became known for reliability, professionalism, and a deep understanding of both workers and employers. When the internet arrived in the 1990s, Janice made a move few others were bold enough to try. In 1995, she launched one of the first online staffing platforms, AppleOne, predicting that tech workers would soon be in extraordinary demand.
She was right.
By 2020, ActOne Group served more than 17,000 clients in 19 countries and generated over $1.1 billion in annual revenue.
A $900 loan had become a billion-dollar global enterprise.
The Billion-Dollar Breakthrough
Janice did more than build a staffing company. She transformed how businesses understood opportunity, talent, and inclusion.
ActOne Group grew through recessions, digital revolutions, and massive shifts in the global labor market. The company expanded into workforce solutions, technology consulting, human resources services, and international staffing. Clients loved that Janice built her company on trust, service, and a deep respect for people.
One of her most famous beliefs has become a mantra for thousands of entrepreneurs:
“Never compromise who you are personally to become who you wish to be professionally.”
As a founder, she created a space where integrity mattered as much as profit. As a leader, she proved that empathy and excellence could coexist at the highest levels. As a Black woman breaking barriers inside of an industry dominated by white male executives, she carried the weight of representation and still rose higher.
Serving with Purpose
From the beginning, Janice built ActOne Group on the idea that companies thrive when people do. She invested deeply in mentorship, training, and career development, especially for women and underrepresented groups. Her commitment to education and economic mobility shaped everything from internal culture to external partnerships.
Over the years, she has donated millions to schools, scholarship programs, community organizations, and initiatives focused on empowering young people. She has served on countless boards, advised world leaders, and mentored emerging founders who see themselves in her journey.
Her success was never only about business. It was about widening the path for everyone who would come after her.
Janice’s career shows that influence is most powerful when it lifts others with it.
Five Leadership Lessons from Janice Bryant Howroyd
Start where you are. A fax machine and a storefront office were enough to launch a billion dollar company.
Let values be your guide. Her parents’ lessons shaped every decision she made.
See opportunity where others do not. She built a business by noticing a need others overlooked.
Bet on the future. Her early investment in online staffing transformed her entire company.
Lead with humanity. Respect, service, and care became her competitive advantage.
Jenny’s Takeaway
Janice Bryant Howroyd’s story is a testament to the power of seeing possibility where others see limits. She grew up in a world determined to restrict her, yet she transformed those barriers into fuel for a life of impact.
With $900, relentless focus, and a belief in her own potential, she built a billion dollar enterprise that changed how America thinks about talent and opportunity.
Her journey proves that legacy is not defined by where you start. It is defined by how fiercely you rise and how many people you bring with you.