Queen Latifah made her first big splash onto the music scene at age 19, with the release of her hit rap single “Ladies, First.” For the next three decades, the Newark, New Jersey native would go on to build a multi-faceted and dynamic career as a musician, actress, producer and philanthropist, blazing a trail for other Black female artists. 

I recently sat down with Queen during her press tour for The Queen Collective, her latest endeavor which provides opportunities for women of color in film to tell stories from their viewpoint. The mentoring and development program, in collaboration with Tribeca Studios and Procter and Gamble, selected two winners this year and their projects will premiere on BET Networks, Saturday, June 13th at 9:00 p.m. ET. 

In our conversation, she shared some of the financial lessons experienced while growing up and building her business, as well as her ideas on how we can promote more equality in the workplace and close the racial wealth gap.