Jabbie is the president and chief executive officer of Banneker Supply Chain Solutions, Inc. (formerly Banneker Industries), the largest Black-owned company in Rhode Island.

He arrived at Bryant University back in 2002. A two-sport athlete from Maryland who excelled in football and track, Jabbie was recruited to play football for the Bulldogs. Nearly 20 years later, the impact Jabbie has made off the field in Rhode Island far exceeds his accomplishments on the gridiron.

Jabbie’s decision one evening to skip dinner- not something a 260-pound hungry lineman often did – to attend a guest-speaker presentation proved to be life-changing

The speaker was Cheryl Watkins Snead, founder, CEO and president of Banneker Industries, a supply chain management company. Snead, an inspirational business leader and civil rights advocate, would soon become Jabbie’s boss, mentor and close friend.

Jabbie became Banneker’s first-ever intern and with the same dedication and work ethic he brought to the field, the Bryant University graduate (BA ‘06, MBA ‘07) quickly rose to the top of the multi-million-dollar company. Jabbie led multiple successful initiatives that directly impacted every aspect of Banneker’s operations.

In 2018, following the unexpected death of his mentor, Jabbie was named Banneker’s president and CEO. Jabbie immediately shaved off his signature dreadlocks, fulfilling a promise he had made to Snead, who asked him to get rid of the locks if he ever was promoted to president or got married.
Jabbie is dedicated to serving his communities and is on more than a half-dozen boards, including Delta Dental of Rhode Island, United Way of Rhode Island and the National Small Business Association’s Leadership Council. As a tribute to Snead, who lost her battle with heart disease, Jabbie also serves on the board of the American Heart Association Southern New England.

He continues to honor Snead’s legacy and mirrors her passion for helping others. Under Jabbie’s leadership The Banneker Foundation was established in 2019. The non-profit organization provides programs, resources and scholarships to the underprivileged.

Why is Papitto Opportunity Connection and its mission of bettering the BIPOC communities so important to you?

“POC’s mission reflects my own passions and ambitions regarding the BIPOC community, with an emphasis and focus on the Black business community. As one of New England’s premiere warehousing, e-commerce fulfillment, and supply chain companies, we place a special emphasis on utilizing diverse suppliers who enable us to serve our customers in a dynamic and competitive and global marketplace. Even more so, as one of Rhode Island’s largest Black-owned businesses, our company, our team members we employ, and the families they support, directly benefit from any advancement of the BIPOC business community. It is important to us to ensure that not only can we grow and scale our business, but we can serve as a role model, a mentor, a facilitator, and an investor for this generation and future generations of RI BIPOC businesses. ”

Did you experience a defining moment that triggered your deep desire to help others?

“There was not any singular defining moment that triggered a deep desire to help others. A yearning to share my time, talents, and treasures with others has always been present. I do believe the natural desire, combined with my upbringing, was catalyzed by 15 years of mentorship under one of Rhode Island’s preeminent Black businesswomen: Cheryl Watkins Snead. The POC is another tremendous opportunity for me to help express that desire on a much broader and more impactful scale. “