Khalil J. Ferguson
2025 OBSERVER “30 Under 30” Honoree
Age: 29
Occupation: CEO
Khalil J. Ferguson is a legal and economic strategist dedicated to inclusive entrepreneurship and capital access. As CEO of United CORE Alliance, he leads initiatives that advance cannabis equity, small business growth, and reinvestment in underserved communities. A graduate of Sacramento State and McGeorge School of Law — with certifications in Capital Lawyering and Business Law — Ferguson combines economic insight with legal expertise to support sustainable Black-owned ventures. Raised in Richmond and shaped by lived experiences of structural exclusion, he has become a force for economic justice across California. He has advised numerous entrepreneurs and is also the author of Subservience, an Amazon #1 new release. Ferguson remains committed to building wealth and mobility for Sacramento’s Black community.
If you could grab coffee or a meal with any historical Black figure or current influential African American person, who would it be and what would you ask them?
I would love to sit down with Dr. Carter G. Woodson. His book “The Mis-Education of The Negro” is foundational to my political and economic understanding. The book’s thesis remains true today – that the educational system in the United States was established for the purpose of educating pupils on American and European issues so that scholars would be trained on solving them rather than solving our own.
We would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to our “30 Under 30” sponsors for their generous support:
