“I don’t need an official invitation” was Robert “Bob” Ingram Jr.’s signature line.

It started as a “rallying cry” for him and his brothers when they moved from Baltimore to New York as children, said Keith Ingram, his younger brother. They were going to show up and make their mark no matter who or what stood in their way.

As Ingram grew older, it morphed into something bigger — a declaration that he would open doors not only for himself but for other Black men and women. He didn’t need an “official invitation” to make a difference in industries that didn’t prioritize diversity in hiring or corporate leadership. He just did it.

“All of that came down to attitude more than anything,” Keith Ingram said.

Ingram, a media executive, salesman and visionary who worked across disciplines to champion diversity, equity and inclusion, died on Dec. 10 of a subdural hemorrhage. He was 69.

Ingram, the second of five boys, was born in Baltimore on Jan. 7, 1955. His father was a merchant seaman who traveled the world, and his mother earned three degrees while raising her children. His parents set a clear example for their sons: They wanted them to work hard, value their education and be ambitious. They taught the importance of learning Black history and culture. They showed them how to have a relationship with God.

The lessons certainly resonated. Even as a boy, Ingram always tried to do what was right. He was “the advocate for all of us when things went awry,” Keith Ingram said. There were multiple occasions when their father would discipline one of Ingram’s brothers, and the second child would try to step in and protect his siblings.

In their youth, Ingram and his siblings moved to Long Island, where Ingram played baseball, football, basketball and lacrosse throughout his school years. He met Dr. Joseph Austin in the fourth grade, and their mothers’ friendship made them fast friends, too. The boys did well in school and became role models for younger kids, Austin said.

The friends also shared unforgettable summers at Adelphi and Hofstra universities, where they attended the Afro-American Experience summer programs. Keith Ingram said the programs, which featured lessons on African drumming and dance, built on the historical and cultural education their parents had provided them.

Ingram enjoyed being around other people, and other people wanted to be around him, Austin said. He was “brilliant but also a fun person to be around,” and it was clear from a young age that he would go on to have a successful and influential career, his friend said.

Ingram went on to attend his beloved Lincoln University, a historically Black institution, and joined Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. He studied world history and political science and later earned a master’s degree from the University of Baltimore, where he studied urban planning.

From there, Ingram launched a 40-year run in media and advertising, starting in sales at Career Communications Group Inc. in Baltimore. There, he met Len Burnett, who immediately thought Ingram was “the big personality who would light up the room.”

Ingram often volunteered to teach and mentor people in and out of the company, Burnett said. He was “warm and inviting” and had the special ability to build deep connections with other people — a skill that helped his work in sales and fundraising.

“In our industry, I think it’s oftentimes that people reach out to clients and people when they want something, right?” Burnett said. “It’s almost as a transactional basis. But what Bob knew and taught — and because of his personality — was that you should nurture relationships and reach out to people.”

In fact, Ingram was known as “the Rainmaker” for his ability to bring in revenue, no matter where he worked or who his clients were. He became the associate publisher of the U.S. Black Engineer and Hispanic Engineer magazines and later the publisher of The Urban Health Report and Healthcare Network 2000. He was also chief development officer of the National Society of Black Engineers, helped launch Honey and Savoy magazines and worked at Black Enterprise Magazine, his family said.

As the media industry changed and advertising went digital, Ingram was quick to adapt while others fell behind, Keith Ingram said.

“Bobby was not just a colleague but a good brother and a true leader,” said journalist Roland S. Martin. “His legacy as a media executive, innovator and connector in multicultural marketing and beyond is unmatched. Bobby’s impact on our industry and lives will never be forgotten.”

Throughout his vast career, Ingram always championed DEI, challenging corporations that said they valued diversity but didn’t put money behind it.

“Bob understood that it was better to give than to receive, because that’s how the community as a whole would benefit,” Keith Ingram said. “Bob found a way to bypass the traditional way of going to the ad agencies to get his pages. What he did is he became an expert in diversity, and he understood that in corporate America, diversity had its own budget, but diversity also reported directly to the CEO.”

Travis Mitchell, the senior vice president and chief content officer of Maryland Public Television, met Ingram when he interned at Career Communications Group in the 1990s. “DEI” wasn’t a household term back then, but Ingram found fresh ways to push companies to diversify their staff, Mitchell said.

“He was one of those who were able to define diversity in terms of bottom-line impact, which was truly, truly innovative,” he said.

Mitchell said Ingram was one of his earliest mentors who taught him about the business side of media, putting him on the path to become the highest-ranking African American at Maryland Public Television in 50 years.

“Bob had the ability to get behind people, to lift them up and give them the best of what he knew and his experiences without taking credit,” Mitchell said.

Ingram also co-founded the World Diversity Leadership Summit, an international conference series, among many other ventures. His résumé is too long to print in its entirety. That’s because “he was a master in anything that he did,” said Toni Robinson, Ingram’s friend of about four decades.

“If there was a word beyond professional, that was Bob,” Robinson said. “He got it done. People would call Bob. He was like a master architect.”

That was also true in his personal life, Robinson said. He was known by many names — Robert, Bob, Bobby — and it was like there were personalities associated with each one, she said.

Ingram was smart, but he was also wise. He loved to dance. He had friends from “jail to Yale,” she said, and treated them all equally. He always rooted for the underdog. He dressed well. And he was the foodie of all foodies — his favorite restaurant was Chiapparelli’s Restaurant in Little Italy.

Ingram was the father of four children, Jarrett, Adrian, Alanna and Christopher. He always wanted his children to know that he loved them unconditionally, no matter what choices they made, because that’s “just part of growth,” Keith Ingram said. He was a proud grandfather and relished time with other family members.

The adoration, of course, was reciprocal. His family wrote in his memorial program: “To those who knew him best, he was a love letter in human form — complete with crossed-out phrases and coffee-stained corners.”

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