AACCNJ Founder and CEO Named Among BINJE’s Best Business Leaders of 2026
TRENTON, N.J. — Dr. John E. Harmon Sr. built the institution that created influence in New Jersey’s Black business community. Now, the state’s business press has formalized what the community already knew.
BINJE — a New Jersey-focused business media platform covering commerce, economic development, and public policy — named Dr. Harmon among its Best Business Leaders of 2026. The 2026 honorees were celebrated at a ceremony co-hosted by BINJE and the New Jersey State Chamber of Commerce.
Who He Is
Dr. Harmon is the Founder, President, and CEO of the African American Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey (AACCNJ) — the state’s primary advocacy organization for Black-owned businesses. He built the institution from the ground up with a singular focus: constructing a collective economic voice for a community that has historically been shut out of the rooms where contracts, capital, and policy decisions get made.
Today, with more than 800 active members, AACCNJ advocates for the 124,000+ Black-owned businesses and approximately 1.2 million Black residents across New Jersey. The chamber drives economic growth through business development, workforce training, procurement access, and policy advocacy — operating at the intersection of corporate America, government, and the communities that both have historically underserved.
Why This Recognition Matters
BINJE launched in May 2025 under veteran New Jersey business journalist Tom Bergeron, formerly of ROI-NJ and NJBIZ. Its Best Business Leaders list spans executives from Nokia Bell Labs, CoreWeave, AT&T, RWJBarnabas Health, NJ Transit, and the full weight of the Garden State’s institutional and corporate landscape.
Dr. Harmon’s inclusion confirms what the Black business community in New Jersey has long understood: the infrastructure he built is central to this state’s economy. At a moment when diversity commitments are being walked back at the national level, that confirmation carries real weight.
The Work Continues
Dr. Harmon’s focus remains fixed on expanding what’s possible for Black entrepreneurs in New Jersey. The AACCNJ advances equitable access to capital, procurement opportunities, and business networks that build generational wealth — through membership, programming, and partnerships rooted in the principle that economic inclusion produces stronger economies for everyone.
Become a member: aaccnj.com/join-the-chamber
West Ward Beans will continue to document the work of Dr. Harmon and the AACCNJ as part of our ongoing commitment to Black economic leadership in New Jersey and beyond.
Read the full BINJE honoree list: binje.com
Learn more about AACCNJ: aaccnj.com
