On Thursday, February 29th, StartUp Westport and Westport 10 hosted two panels in celebration of the final night of Black History Month. They took this opportunity to hold a forum on the need to create opportunities for diverse entrepreneurs.
Jay Norris, the event's emcee and host of the night's second panel, is working hard to change that reputation. Not only is Norris the founder of Westport 10, a social club for Westport's residents of color, and Startup, an incubator for the town's growing technology and innovation space, he is also a Black man. We're also behind Blacklight, a search engine designed to help you find owned businesses. If relevant, it will be displayed at the top of the results page. He is the CEO and co-founder of his Guess, a property management platform, and volunteers with several local organizations, including the Westport Library.
Norris explained that when he and his wife first moved to Westport seven years ago, they couldn't understand why people in the city hated the suburbs.
“I thought it was amazing because I had never lived in a suburb before! This place ticks all the boxes: beaches, a great school system, pretty decent taxes,” Norris said, referring to Westport as Westchester. and Scarsdale, he said. “The only thing we didn’t check off was diversity.”
Norris explained that he approached the shortcomings with optimism and decided to help improve the situation. “Why does the community have to add something to me? Why can't I nourish the community? Why can't I bring what I know, my knowledge, my relationships to the community? That's the real reason I'm on all these boards, and I have to lean in.”
From the podium, Norris urged those in attendance to participate in these improvements and to stand up against racial bias in Westport schools, and asked Craig Melvin, an NBC and MSNBC anchor who also lives in Westport, to take the microphone. Before giving it to him, he called for her to huddle with him. .
Along with Mr. Melvin, Wesley Sainte Arbuthnot, founder of the high-end restaurant 29 Merkle Court in Bridgeport, Eric Freeman, managing partner of real estate development company Grandview Partners, and Digital Currency Group's CEO He was joined on stage by Ilka Gregory of Family Office and Adam Moore, CEO of Wheelhouse Center for Health. Wellbeing and his partner in managing Exact Capital, Craig Livingston.
Entrepreneurs broadly discussed their businesses, their connections to the community, and how their businesses can respond to community needs.
A common theme was the need to reconsider long-held views. Moore, who is a trained hypnotist and co-founded WHEELHOUSE with his wife, a naturopathic physician, spoke about how he has addressed emerging issues in the medical field.
“People have a hostile relationship with their health. They go to the doctor because they have to,” Moore said. “Very few people do it because they want to.”
Grandview Partners' Freeman was blunt about what needs to change to address the nation's housing shortage of about 7 million units, saying, “Affordable housing cannot be built without government assistance.'' ” he said. “The little secret is that affordable housing developments don’t generate enough revenue to justify building them.”
Public-private partnerships were his preferred solution.
Exact partner Livingston agreed with that assessment, but added that even the market rate units available are limited. “From a zoning perspective in many municipalities, the law does not allow us to create the density that we need.”
Arbuthnot talked about his efforts to carve out a space for Black-specific fine cuisine, especially as a first-time restaurant owner. “It's not easy, but it brings a lot of connection. I also love seeing the joy on people's faces when they leave.”
Gregory spoke about the cryptocurrencies he works with, welcoming them as a way to circumvent traditional financial institutions that may have discriminatory practices. He said, “Blockchain can help bring banking to the unbanked and underbanked.”
A second panel followed, moderated by Norris himself. Page and Ted Parker, founders of supplement manufacturer Vibrant Health, Kit Shapiro, owner of West Women's Clothing Boutique, and Michelle Peterson, chief marketing officer of Blacklight. and Chief Technology Officer Pamela Moss.
Moss recalled how he and Norris had worked together during the dual phases of the coronavirus pandemic and the protests sparked by the police killing of George Floyd, and Peterson said that He explained how Blacklight works, creating a world where you can support your business with just a click. ”
The Parkers spoke at length about the challenges of working together as a couple and the process of getting employees to see Paige as an equal partner to Ted after acquiring Vibrant Health from its previous owners.
Shapiro, who is also the daughter of famed vocalist Eartha Kitt, took over the Westport store around the same time and describes how she came to know the community in a way she didn't after spending more than 20 years as a Westport resident. I reminisced. town.
The event ended with Norris directly addressing the group of University of Bridgeport students in attendance, inviting them to join Startup Westport's mentorship program.
After the event, Norris noted the interaction that occurred on stage and said he considered the evening a success and hoped to continue it at the cocktail reception that followed.
“We don't always have the same values, but we have to exchange them and share them. If we don't share them, how can we grow? Listening and sharing is what this community is all about. That's what we need and that's what we need to do here.”
