Cheryl Mills
At PeopleDem property we believe in celebrating our community by spotlighting black excellence in property. Today we are celebrating Cheryl Mills.
Cheryl is the founder and CEO of the BlackIvy Group, a company committed to building and scaling enterprises across Sub-Saharan Africa. BlackIvy blends private sector strategy with a deep commitment to social impact, focusing on sustainable growth in logistics, infrastructure, healthcare, housing, and agriculture.
Born in 1965 to a U.S. Army lieutenant colonel, Cheryl spent her childhood in military communities around the world, including Belgium, West Germany, and the United States. She earned a B.A. from the University of Virginia and received her J.D. from Stanford Law School. Her legal career began at Hogan & Hartson, where she represented school districts working to fulfil the promise of Brown v. Board of Education. This early dedication to civil rights and education reform foreshadowed her future in public service.
Cheryl rose to national prominence in the when she joined the Clinton team, first as Associate Counsel and later as Deputy Counsel to the President. She played a key role on President Bill Clinton’s defence team during his 1999 impeachment trial, earning praise for a powerful Senate presentation that emphasized the President’s civil rights record. Although offered the role of White House Counsel afterward, Cheryl chose to pursue new opportunities outside Washington.
In 2002, she joined New York University (NYU) as Senior Vice President for Administration and Operations and General Counsel. At NYU, she led faculty labour negotiations and helped oversee the creation of the university’s Abu Dhabi campus, navigating complex international agreements to help establish one of the first American liberal arts campuses in the Middle East.
Cheryl returned to public service in 2009 as Chief of Staff and counsellor to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. In that role, she helped oversee the $55 billion State Department, managing operations across more than 180 countries. She led key policy initiatives, including the Obama Administration’s $3.5 billion Feed the Future global food security program and coordinated diplomatic recovery efforts in post-earthquake Haiti. She also served on the National Security Council Deputies Committee, influencing U.S. foreign policy at the highest levels.
After leaving government in 2013, Cheryl turned her focus to entrepreneurship and founded BlackIvy Group. With operations in Ghana, Kenya, and Tanzania, BlackIvy is rooted in the belief that inclusive, values-driven businesses can foster long-term development and economic opportunity in emerging markets.
As CEO, Cheryl oversees strategy, capital development, and enterprise operations. Her work bridges the private sector and development sectors, demonstrating that business growth can align with social progress.
Cheryl also serves on several influential boards, including BlackRock, iHeartMedia, the Clinton Foundation, and the Maya Angelou Public Charter School. These roles reflect her wide-ranging expertise in finance, media, education, and philanthropy.
It was an honour writing about Cheryl as she has excelled at the highest levels of law and government while building enterprises that drive global economic progress. Whether defending constitutional principles before the U.S. Senate, launching universities overseas, or creating infrastructure in Africa, Cheryl has consistently embodied impact, integrity, and inclusion.
