Andre Kearns
| Andre Kearns | |
|---|---|
| Born | Washington, D.C., United States |
| 🏡 Residence | Washington, D.C. |
| 🏳️ Nationality | American |
| 🎓 Alma mater | Morehouse College (B.A.) Harvard Business School (M.B.A.) |
| 💼 Occupation | Marketing executive, genealogist, author, public speaker |
| 📆 Years active | 1994–present |
| Known for | Founder and CEO of Black Ancestries Marketing leadership at Amazon Web Services Board Director, National Genealogical Society |
| Notable work | Understanding the Game of Executive Leadership (co-author) Finding Cornerstone Stories (forthcoming, 2026) |
| 👩 Spouse(s) | Nadine Duplessy Kearns |
| 👶 Children | 2 |
Andre Kearns is an American marketing executive, genealogist, author, and public speaker. He is the founder and chief executive officer of Black Ancestries LLC, a genealogy research firm focusing on African American family history.[1] His genealogical expertise has been featured in national media outlets including The Washington Post, National Geographic, and USA Today.[1][2][3] He previously served in marketing leadership roles in the technology and geospatial sectors, including at Amazon Web Services and Maxar Technologies.[4][5]
Early life and education
Kearns was born in Washington, D.C., and raised in North Potomac, Maryland.[6] His mother, Thaye Ann Richards Kearns, was an educator in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and an elementary school teacher,[7] and his father, Curtis A. Kearns Jr., was a telecommunications executive and later a Presbyterian minister.[8] Through his research, Kearns has traced his ancestry to some of the first Africans in colonial Virginia in the early 1600s.[6]
He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from Morehouse College in 1994 and a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School in 1999.[6][9]
Career
Business and technology career
Kearns began his career as an associate at Bain & Company.[9] He later held marketing and product roles at The Coca-Cola Company, America Online (AOL), Cloakware/Irdeto, and CPA Global.[9]
Maxar Technologies
Kearns joined DigitalGlobe (later Maxar Technologies) as Senior Director of Marketing for its geospatial analytics business.[5] His work involved promoting satellite imagery, geospatial data products, and AI-enabled analytics used by government and commercial clients.[10]
Amazon Web Services
In 2019, Kearns joined Amazon Web Services as Marketing Director, where he helped launch the company's Aerospace and Satellite business.[9] In 2022, he received the WashingtonExec Marketing Executive of the Year award for his contributions to technology and cloud industry marketing.[4]
Black Ancestries
In 2025, Kearns founded Black Ancestries LLC, a genealogy research firm specializing in African American family history and ancestry reconstruction.[1] His work with Black Ancestries has contributed to high-profile genealogical projects and public history storytelling, including research cited in national media.
Genealogy, research, and writing
Kearns is a director at large of the National Genealogical Society (NGS) and chairs its Development Committee.[11] He previously chaired the organization’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee.
His genealogical research includes contributions to the documentation of 143 enslaved individuals at Cedar Grove Plantation in Huntersville, North Carolina, work later incorporated into the *North Carolina: Cedar Grove, 1765–1890* database published by American Ancestors’ 10 Million Names Project.[12]
Kearns has spoken at national conferences and institutions, including RootsTech,[13] the NGS Annual Conference,[11] the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society, and Harvard Business School.[14]
His forthcoming book, Finding Cornerstone Stories: Uncovering Inspiration in Your Family’s History, is scheduled for publication by American Ancestors in 2026.[9]
Media coverage
Kearns’ genealogical work and commentary have appeared in multiple national news outlets, including:
Personal life
Kearns lives in Washington, D.C., with his wife, Nadine Duplessy Kearns, a corporate philanthropy executive and co-founder of the Haitian Ladies Network.[9] They have two sons.
See also
- Morehouse College
- Harvard Business School
- Amazon Web Services
- National Genealogical Society
- American Ancestors
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Felton, Emmanuel; Hatzipanagos, Rachel; Ho, Vivian. "Pope Leo XIV’s Creole Ancestry Uncovered." *The Washington Post*, May 9, 2025. [1]
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Where Were Enslaved Africans Taken From?" *National Geographic*, March 3, 2025. [2]
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Looking for Your Roots? DNA Tests Don’t Tell the Whole Story." *USA Today*, December 2, 2018. [3]
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "2022 Pinnacle Awards Winner: AWS' Andre Kearns." *WashingtonExec*, January 2023. [4]
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Maxar’s data analytics division adds jobs to sate U.S. government appetite for artificial intelligence." *SpaceNews*, September 6, 2018. [5]
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 "Andre Kearns—His African American Ancestors Make Him Smile!" *FamilySearch Blog*, February 4, 2022. [6]
- ↑ "Educator Thaye Ann Richards Kearns dies at age 74." *Presbyterian Church (USA)*, July 2, 2021. [7]
- ↑ "Presbyterians elect Md. cleric." *The Baltimore Sun*, November 4, 1993. [8]
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 White, April. "Money Does Grow on (Family) Trees." *Harvard Business School Alumni Magazine*, September 1, 2023. [9]
- ↑ "These Maps Can Predict the Future." *Fast Company*, August 20, 2013. [10]
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 "Uncovering the Lives of the Cedar Grove 143." *Upfront with NGS*, February 9, 2025. [11]
- ↑ "New Database: North America: Records of Enslaved People from Plantations and Estates, 1765–1890." *American Ancestors DB News*, August 28, 2025. [12]
- ↑ "Andre Kearns at RootsTech 2024." *YouTube*, 2024. [13]
- ↑ "Where Roots Anchor, Leadership Grows." *Harvard Business School African-American Alumni Association*, 2024. [14]
- ↑ "'My Ancestors Had the Strength to Endure'." *WTOP News*, February 2024. [15]
External links
- Black Ancestries – Official Website
- Andre Kearns on LinkedIn
- Andre Kearns on Medium
- FamilySearch Blog
- HBS Alumni Magazine
- NGS – Cedar Grove 143
- National Geographic
- The Washington Post
- WTOP News
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