(BALTIMORE – February 16, 2023) – Be sure to RSVP to https://blackwallstreetbaltimore2023.eventbrite.com for the next Black Wall Street BALTIMORE on Feb. 28th, the last day of Black History Month, at Terra Cafe Bmore, located at 101 E. 25th Street.
Honorees include Rikki Vaughn.
Who is Rikki?
-Minimum wage worker at McDonald’s to CEO and Owner of 100+ restaurants/franchises
-homeless to homeowner
-high school dropout to MBA and Ph.D. candidate
-felony conviction to youth and community advocate
“I am a Baltimore native who understands the struggles and challenges in our communities. As a young man growing up in Baltimore, I served as a Baltimore City Police Explorer Cadet and on the Baltimore City Youth Council for 2 terms. At the age of 14, I began working at a local McDonald’s franchise in my neighborhood. Through hard work and a personal commitment to better my opportunities, I was promoted to a General Manager position at 18. Seeking to constantly push myself for greater, I rose through the ranks of McDonald’s and became an Area Supervisor, then Training Manager, and ultimately, Vice President of Operations. Using my platform in the company to help develop organizational leaders and increase profitability, my team became one of the highest-grossing leaders in McDonald’s.
While I was able to secure success at an early stage in my life, I knew that education was the key to opening more doors. As a result, I received my GED at the age of 25 and attended Hampton University, a treasured HBCU in Virginia. While at Hampton, I earned my Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice and graduated Magna Cum Laude. For my MBA, I attended the University of Southwest graduating with high honors. I’m currently a candidate for my Ph.D. in Public Policy and Administration at Walden University.
After my initial studies, I returned to my entrepreneurial roots and entered into several partnership agreements to operate, manage, and own restaurants. These include Vaughn’s Taste of Soul, Vaughn’s Soul Café, Popeyes, Checkers, Subway, Dunkin Donuts, Light Street Cafe, Dickeys BBQ, Sneak Eyes Seafood and Grill, Let’s Brunch Cafe, Daves Subs, and Ellen’s Café. These accomplishments propelled me to establish my own company brand, Vaughn’s Restaurant Group and Vaughn Corporation & Companies! My business ethics and success allowed me to serve as the CEO of Burgerim, a national burger chain. In this capacity, I managed sites in the US, Dubai, Russia, Japan, South Korea, Israel, and Italy.
My passion has always been to serve. Being a business executive, I understand the importance of putting people first. I want to take my acquired knowledge and experience and help uplift the city of Baltimore and urban communities. It will be my honor to serve the residents of this beautiful city and bring positive change. I want to help create an environment for everyone to thrive and succeed. I did not let how I started life determine where I ended up in life. I want to share my story with our youth to encourage them and help them aspire to a greater future. If I can do it, there is absolutely no limit to what our future generations can accomplish.”