Noel Hankin
Noel Hankin is a founder of The Best of Friends, Inc. (TBOF), a pioneering business enterprise that promoted discotheque events in New York City starting in 1971. TBOF owned Leviticus, Justine’s (formerly Othello), and Bogard’s, three of the first black-owned clubs in midtown Manhattan. TBOF also owned Brandi’s in Brooklyn and Lucifer’s (renamed Trixx) in Queens. These nightclubs paved the way for Studio 54, Saturday Night Fever, and the nationwide explosion of disco in the late ’70s.
Hankin is a retired senior executive who managed some of the world’s most successful brands at Moët Hennessy USA and Miller Brewing Company. He also wrote speeches for CEOs and has been published in Vital Speeches. Hankin is a founder of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund and served as its Vice-Chair. Founded in 1987, the Fund has raised over $300 million and helped prepare 260,000 students for career success through leadership training and providing financial scholarships.
President Clinton appointed Hankin to his Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), where he provided counsel to the President for seven years. Hankin has a BA from Queens College, a Marketing Certificate from the Wharton School of Business, and an Honorary Doctorate from Medgar Evers College/CUNY. Born in Kingston, Jamaica, Hankin lives in East Hampton, NY with his wife Gwendolyn. They have two married daughters and three grandchildren.
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