Business

This Family
Means Business

By Sasha Manley The average person will spend over 90,000 hours working in their lifetime, according to LinkedIn.com. These hours make up about one-third of your life. With so much of our careers dedicated to this time, surrounding yourself with an authentic family dynamic can mean better commitments, security, pride, trust and mutual long-term visions.  …
Business

NC IDEA – Elevating Black Entrepreneurship

By Sonja Whitemon Three Charlotte startup companies were selected to receive grants from NC IDEA, a private foundation committed to supporting entrepreneurial ambition and economic empowerment in North Carolina. The foundation awarded $75,000 grants to seven companies in North Carolina. The recipients of the awards were all companies founded by Black entrepreneurs.…
Business

A Full Plate: Chef Lisa Brooks Cooks Up Faith

Photo by Amanda Richardson Photography Story by: Sasha Manley Chef Lisa Brooks, a Charlotte native, is an example of what it means to step out on faith and bet on yourself. Brooks decided to leave corporate life at the age of 40 and get back to doing what she ultimately loved.…
Business

Real Men Get Manicures and Pedicures

By John Burton Jr. Imagine being in a nail salon, receiving your normal service, and two strapping construction workers venture in. They’re not there to meet their significant others but proceed to plop down in chairs at the pedicure station. Subsequently, they peel off their dirt-caked construction boots, then place their feet in the awaiting bubbling foot water bath.…
Business

Local Transportation Union Names First Woman President

Compiled by John Burton The “Victory Lodge” Local 1725, one of nearly 1,100 Local Lodges affiliated with more than  742,000 members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAMAW), swore in Helena Thornton as its first female President in January.…
Business

Development of City’s 2040 Plan Aims to Engage Public

By Tonya Jameson Longtime residents on the west side of Charlotte don’t need to be reminded that their voices have been ignored as the city has grown. Neither do folks on the east side. These residents have been sharing their frustrations and hopes for revitalized communities, during community workshops to craft the Charlotte 2040 Comprehensive Plan, which will guide the city’s growth in the next two decades.…
Business

Diversity Paves the Way in Local Leadership

By Angela Lindsay The current leadership slate in Charlotte is likely the most diverse it has ever been, with minorities and women holding prominent positions, from the mayor to the district attorney to the fire chief to the chief of police and sheriff, as well as the city planner, school board chair, transportation CEO and the chair of the board of county commissioners.…
Business

UPS Store Serves Needs of Growing Small Businesses

  By Kallan Louis In 2007, retired couple Phillip and Lillie Oden moved to Charlotte from Cleveland. Listening to the advice of family and friends, the Odens decided to continue working post-retirement. They had previous experience in small business and customer service.…
Business

Tips from the Pros: Creating Workplace Diversity

By Kallan Louis Diversity in the workplace is more than just a matter of the morally right thing to do. It is an invaluable resource for business owners that can create a pipeline to top talent and ideas. A study from the Harvard Business Review discovered that some of the most heavily relied upon methods to cultivate workplace diversity, including mandatory diversity training, are some of the least effective ways to transform companies into more inclusive environments.…