Howard Nelson Cromwell
Managing Director & Owner
Howard is a globally recognized hospitality leader, founder, and social enterprise executive with more than two decades of experience leveraging hospitality, events, and culture as tools for economic development and community impact. He is the Founder & President of Dîner en Noir Worldwide, a global professional network and social enterprise serving over 50,000 members across 23 cities in the U.S., Europe, and Africa, dedicated to advancing Black entrepreneurship and inclusive growth. As President & CEO of HNC Enterprises, Inc., and a trusted partner to luxury brands, national nonprofits, and cultural institutions, Howard has delivered high-impact experiential initiatives and multimillion-dollar fundraising outcomes. Named to BEIN’s 2025 Top 100 Black International Event Professionals, he is a sought-after speaker and advisor on hospitality leadership, experiential design, and mission-driven innovation.
Hospitality Bio
Howard is a globally recognized hospitality leader, founder, and thought partner with more than two decades of international experience at the intersection of restaurants, events, culture, and community-driven economic development. Known for transforming hospitality platforms into engines for connection, impact, and growth, he advises organizations, institutions, and entrepreneurs on how to design experiences that deliver both financial performance and social value.
Over the course of his career, Howard has led and advised full lifecycle hospitality and event initiatives for a diverse portfolio of partners spanning luxury fashion, entertainment, healthcare, philanthropy, and media. His work has included collaborations with global brands such as Gucci and Bulgari, national nonprofits including Stand Up To Cancer, the American Heart Association, and Johns Hopkins’ Kimmel Cancer Research Center, as well as cultural institutions and internationally recognized entertainment acts. These partnerships have resulted in immersive brand experiences, mission-aligned activations, and multimillion-dollar fundraising outcomes.
Howard is the Founder & President of Dîner en Noir Worldwide, a global social enterprise and culture-forward professional network with more than 50,000 members across 23 host cities throughout the United States, Europe, and Africa. Through signature events, strategic partnerships, and community-centered initiatives, Dîner en Noir amplifies Black entrepreneurship, advances economic opportunity, and strengthens creative and professional ecosystems in historically underserved communities. The platform has become one of the largest international networks of Black business owners, professionals, artists, and cultural leaders.
In addition to his community leadership, Howard is President & CEO of HNC Enterprises, Inc., a multinational portfolio of hospitality, media, and lifestyle companies with assets across multiple markets. His work consistently bridges culture, commerce, and community—demonstrating how hospitality can be leveraged as a tool for economic mobility, brand storytelling, and inclusive growth.
A respected voice in the industry, Howard was named to BEIN’s 2025 Top 100 Black International Event Professionals, recognizing his global influence, innovation, and commitment to excellence. He is a frequent speaker and advisor on topics including hospitality leadership, experiential design, social enterprise, community-based economic development, and building scalable systems that create long-term impact.
Howard divides his time between Washington, DC and Paris, France, where he remains an active advocate for the arts, small business development, and inclusive entrepreneurship on a global scale.