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We would love to hear from you! Text "BBMFAM" to (312) 300-1300.
The South Side story most people never hear is the one built on ownership, pride, and neighbors choosing each other on purpose. We’re joined by Ghian Foreman , President and CEO of Emerald South Economic Development Collaborative, to talk about what it really takes to generate community wealth in Chicago’s Mid-South Side and why the economic ripple effects around the Obama Presidential Center have to land beyond a single campus.
We get into his path from early real estate investing and corporate mergers and acquisitions to leading mission-driven work where breaks down how leadership changes when you’re accountable to a community, why planning high matters, and how mentorship can’t stop at “my own kid.” If we want safer neighborhoods and stronger Black entrepreneurship, we have to share information, open doors, and treat young people like the future workforce and founders they already are.
Then we zoom out to the tools shaping what comes next: AI, technology adoption, and the practical skills needed to stay competitive while closing the racial wealth gap. We also talk about the emotional side of building in real communities including trauma, therapy, and what it means to redefine wealth as health, relationships, and collective wins. You’ll hear concrete examples like vacant land activation strategies that reduce violence, plus why Black businesses matter through cultural competence, local hiring, and an ecosystem that finally gets to be in balance.
Subscribe, share this with someone building something, and leave a review so more people find these stories and put them to work.
Support the show
To connect further with me:
Visit my website: Thel3agency.com
Connect with me on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thel3agency
Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/larvettaspeaks/
Connect with me on Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/company/thel3agency
Be sure to follow our podcast on Instagram. I can't wait to see you join us and take the pledge of #blackbusinessesmatter
By Larvetta L Loftin-ArnoldWe would love to hear from you! Text "BBMFAM" to (312) 300-1300.
The South Side story most people never hear is the one built on ownership, pride, and neighbors choosing each other on purpose. We’re joined by Ghian Foreman , President and CEO of Emerald South Economic Development Collaborative, to talk about what it really takes to generate community wealth in Chicago’s Mid-South Side and why the economic ripple effects around the Obama Presidential Center have to land beyond a single campus.
We get into his path from early real estate investing and corporate mergers and acquisitions to leading mission-driven work where breaks down how leadership changes when you’re accountable to a community, why planning high matters, and how mentorship can’t stop at “my own kid.” If we want safer neighborhoods and stronger Black entrepreneurship, we have to share information, open doors, and treat young people like the future workforce and founders they already are.
Then we zoom out to the tools shaping what comes next: AI, technology adoption, and the practical skills needed to stay competitive while closing the racial wealth gap. We also talk about the emotional side of building in real communities including trauma, therapy, and what it means to redefine wealth as health, relationships, and collective wins. You’ll hear concrete examples like vacant land activation strategies that reduce violence, plus why Black businesses matter through cultural competence, local hiring, and an ecosystem that finally gets to be in balance.
Subscribe, share this with someone building something, and leave a review so more people find these stories and put them to work.
Support the show
To connect further with me:
Visit my website: Thel3agency.com
Connect with me on Facebook: www.facebook.com/thel3agency
Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/larvettaspeaks/
Connect with me on Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/company/thel3agency
Be sure to follow our podcast on Instagram. I can't wait to see you join us and take the pledge of #blackbusinessesmatter