Eden Bridgeman

Preserving Heritage, Building the Future

A conversation with Eden Bridgeman, CEO of Ebony Media, on stewarding one of the most iconic Black media brands into its next chapter. Eden will discuss succession, legacy building, and the balance between nostalgia and reinvention. The conversation will explore honoring cultural inheritance while making bold decisions to ensure relevance, growth, and impact for future generations.

Eden Bridgeman Sklenar is a dynamic entrepreneur, media proprietor, and marketing executive. Since 2021, she has served as the owner, Chairwoman, and CEO of 1145 Holdings, the parent company of EBONY Media Group and JET Media Group, which steward the iconic EBONY and JET brands. Previously, from 2016 to 2022, Eden was the Chief Marketing Officer of Manna, Inc., a company overseeing more than 500 restaurant franchises, including Wendy’s, Fazoli’s, Golden Corral, and Mark’s Feed Store.

Born in LosAngeles and raised in Louisville, Kentucky, Eden attended the University of Louisville before joining her family’s business, Manna Inc., in 2002. Manna Inc. was founded by her late father, Junior Bridgeman, in 1988. In 2013, Eden earned her MBA with honors from Loyola University Chicago and was inducted into the International Business Honors Society. During this period, she also led marketing for ERJ Dining, managing 125 Chili’s franchises across 13 states.

Eden has served as a board member for several organizations, including The Speed Art Museum, the Kentucky Derby Museum, the Oxmoor Farm Foundation, the Task Force for Funds for the Arts, and the Louisville Ballet. She is also Program Director and Board Member for the Bridgeman Charitable Group, which supports educational access for at-risk youth and cancer research.

In 2017, Eden launched The Trifecta, a division of the Bridgeman Charitable Group, where she serves as CEO. The Trifecta curates exclusive experiences at major events across the United States, including the Kentucky Derby.

Eden is married to Greg Sklenar and is a proud mother of two. She is the daughter of Doris and the late Ulysses “Junior” Bridgeman and has two brothers, Justin and Ryan.