Honoree: Belva Anakwenze

CFO & Entertainment Business Manager
Abacus Financial Business Management

As the principal of Abacus Financial Management Group, Belva Anakwenze serves as a virtual CFO for several creatives in Los Angeles. Her clients range from entertainers and their closely held companies to large entertainment tech companies. She also serves several live music events and musicians. Some examples of Anakwenze’s current clients include Jay Ellis (HBO’s “Insecure” and Paramount’s “Top Gun: Maverick”) and “ET” host Kevin Frazier.

Anakwenze has made sharp pivots in the past, like when she changed her client base from professional athletes, who weren’t good at following advice, to entertainment industry talent, including actors, directors, producers and writers. For them and their closely held companies, Abacus handles the day-to-day financial affairs as well as helps them plan and invest. Today, Anakwenze’s business continues to grow in client base and employees.

In the male-dominated financial world, Anakwenze can reach her goals as a CFO by facing challenges and tough conversations head-on and speaking in everyday vernacular to ensure complete transparency and understanding of the financial climate. She also spends a great deal of her time educating youth and emerging creative entrepreneurs on financial literacy. She warns of financial pitfalls and encourages individuals to embrace the fear of financial knowledge and conversations, and stresses the importance of financial tracking, reporting, and review.

Anakwenze has also volunteered to teach basic financial literacy at schools in LAUSD. Recently she was a guest speaker for a group of grade school entrepreneurs in an online camp. Additionally, she is connected deeply to the UCLA Black Business Student Association. Prior to starting Abacus, Anakwenze worked as a financial analyst for The Walt Disney Company, where she implemented new account reconciliation practices, saving analysts 10 man-hours per account. She has also worked as an auditor for the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. Anakwenze has been serving as a trusted advisor for many in the entertainment industry for more than 15 years.