Hi, James Navé here, your host for Twice 5 Miles Radio. I'm pleased to welcome Asheville entrepreneur J. Hackett to the microphone. This Twice 5 Miles conversation title is Building Black Wall Street, (https://blackwallstreetavl.com).
I met J. a couple of months ago during the selection process for the 2022 TEDxAsheville event. I was on the selection committee, and J. was one of the candidates chosen to be a speaker. As you probably know, Asheville, North Carolina, is a thriving mountain town with an international reputation. I was intrigued by J.'s entrepreneurial involvement in the Asheville business community. Not only does Jae own a coffee shop named Grind (https://grindavl.club), he leads a development group called Black Wall Street, which helps entrepreneurs of all ages enter Asheville's Business arena.
In this conversation, J. reflects on his family history, the Hackett's, going back to when all his relatives were slaves in Granite Quarry, NC, in the mid-1800s. Although J. grew up in Philadelphia, his North Carolina roots run deep, which is why J. finds his involvement with the Black Wall Street community so satisfying and productive.
In this conversation, you'll also discover Jay has excellent historical knowledge about the black community in Asheville over the years. You'll learn about The Block and The Del Cardo Club, a primary gathering place for the whole community. The Del Cardo was known far and wide enough that musicians like the great James Brown stopped by to play a bit of music when he was touring the country.
J.'s research into black entrepreneurs and Asheville reaches back to 1835 and moves forward to this day. Last year, the Black Wall Street members grossed over $1 million in their collective entrepreneurial efforts. Every city needs leaders like J, Hackett to push the expanding visions along. So next time you are in Asheville, stop by Grind for a cup of coffee (https://grindavl.club). Meanwhile, enjoy the conversation, aired first on WPFMFM-Asheville(www.wpvmfm.org).
