Ricki Stevenson, the founder of Black Paris Tours, has served as its creative thinker and CEO since its inception in 1998. Born into a Navy family in Oakland, raised in East Palo Alto California, Ricki is an award-winning journalist who spent 25 years working in radio, later in television, as a network anchor, United Nation’s reporter, Business reporter, Entertainment reporter, International travel reporter, and talk-show host. She holds a master's degree in History (with an emphasis on African and African American history) from Stanford University.