About Mike & John Burns
John Burns, Co-founder
John Burns is an entrepreneur, attorney, community activist, and co-founder of The Burns Brothers, a family of culturally-driven companies dedicated to creating a more inclusive world. At The Burns Brothers, John, along with his brother, Mike, helm an enterprise of eight different businesses that ignite, inspire, and support brown and Black people across several societal intersections and industries. Those intersections include marketing, communications, wellness, hospitality, talent management, VIP event planning, and inclusive learning.
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Born in Louisville, Kentucky and raised in San Antonio, TX, John’s southern roots influence his business style and social acumen, which is notably personable, tailored, and results-driven. He has utilized these traits to strategically navigate through over 20 years of experience in cultural marketing and communications, event activations, multicultural engagement, and brand positioning. Stops along the way include 14 years at Krooth & Altman LLP where he eventually became partner and provided legal counsel to clients in the entertainment and publishing industries. In 2013 he co-founded Icon Talks, a traveling speaker series featuring “icons,” from activists to entertainment moguls like Cathy Hughes and Harry Belefonte, in intimate conversation about their life’s work.
The Burns Brothers is a collision of these worlds where the sibling founders bring together people, ideas, celebrities, and companies like AT&T, Porsche, and Ciroc to create unforgettable experiences and lasting cultural impact.
Mike Burns, Co-founder
Mike Burns is a seasoned executive, coach, and former Army officer with more than 30 years of experience in strategic leadership, diversity, equity, and inclusion, self-assessments, shifting cultures, and organizational behaviors.
He is the co-founder, along with his brother, John, of The Burns Brothers, a family of culturally-driven companies dedicated to creating a more inclusive world. At The Burns Brothers, Mike and John are at the helm of an enterprise of eight different businesses that ignite, inspire, and support brown and Black people across several societal intersections and industries.
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Those intersections include marketing, communications, wellness, hospitality, talent management, VIP event planning, and inclusive learning. Prior to forming The Burns Brothers, Mike served as the Chief Diversity Officer of Conduent and Citigroup, two major American corporations where he created and managed global diversity and inclusion efforts. Mike also managed nearly $1B in revenue generated by Conduent’s 25,000 employees across North America, Europe, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean Islands.
Mike’s corporate experience has made The Burns Brothers an exceptional bridge-building platform, collaborating with organizations like Comcast, Motion Picture Association, and Aston Martin to create unforgettable experiences and lasting impact.
Mike joined corporate America after serving 13 years in the US Army, initially as a helicopter pilot and then as a civil-military advisor with the 101st Airborne Division in support of operations in both Afghanistan and Iraq. He concluded his military career as the Head of Diversity Recruitment and Enrollment for the United States Military Academy at West Point.
Mike’s corporate and military journey has directly shaped his approach to leading, learning, and living. He is passionate about helping people and organizations successfully maximize their skills, passions, brands, and networks to accomplish tough and complex problems. He feels that true value is only realized when WHO you are and WHAT you do coexist.
