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2011 SPECIAL EDITION

Charlotte Multicultural Resource Guide

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Wells Fargo deepens its commitment to supplier diversity

Published by

In partnership with

Making diversity a way of life

by Cynthia Marshall

e live in an increasingly multicultural world. People are coming together as never before, thanks to technological advances that continue to erase barriers and compress distances. That’s exciting because our differences make us better. AT&T’s rich past is the story of individuals from all walks of life coming together to improve lives through relentless innovation and commitment to excellence. And it will be the story of AT&T’s future, for we are way beyond just talking about diversity and inclusion. We live it. We believe that a diverse workforce and inclusive culture are essential to fulfilling our mission of connecting people with their world, everywhere they live and work, and doing it better than anyone else. AT&T’s commitment to diversity and inclusion enables us to attract and retain employees who are the best and the brightest. And it helps us better understand our customers’ lives so that we can best meet their needs through innovative products and solutions. Fostering a culture of inclusion requires an intentional, ongoing management commitment to a simple philosophy: we better serve our customers when we build diversity into all we do. In 2009, we created the Chief Diversity Officer (CDO) Forum to provide an in-house venue to formally integrate, leverage and grow enterprisewide initiatives to become best-in-class from a diversity perspective. We also created the Business Unit Diversity Council initiative to help build greater awareness around diversity while creating an inclusive culture. Our Leadership Development Program (LDP) is designed to make a difference in the diversity of the future leadership of AT&T. It is open to recent college graduates with diverse backgrounds, proven academic achievement and demonstrated leadership abilities from highly rated institutions. Since 1988, hundreds of employees have successfully completed the LDP, 41 percent of whom are women and nearly half people of color. While AT&T serves customers around the

Charlotte Multicultural Resource Guide

Cynthia Marshall, President, AT&T North Carolina

globe, we see ourselves as a local company because we do not just work in local communities, we live in them. Our philanthropic efforts have helped enrich and strengthen communities in North Carolina and across the country. Through volunteerism and giving, we make a difference. In Charlotte, for example, we are partnering with Communities In Schools, the nation’s largest dropout-prevention program, to underwrite a site coordinator position at Bruns Avenue Elementary School and to provide ongoing volunteer support. We are proud to have been recognized often for our commitment to diversity and inclusion and for fostering an inclusive work environment for all, such as when we were named one of the “40 Best Companies for Diversity” by Black Enterprise magazine in 2010. Yet we also see each honor as a challenge to continually nurture an inclusive culture that welcomes and respects all points of view. This welcoming culture is something we live and breathe every day; our employees expect it and our customers and shareowners benefit from it.

AT&T – Supporting Diversity & Inclusion WORKFORCE DIVERSITY In the rapidly evolving communications industry, our commitment to diversity and inclusion remains strong and a top priority for the company. 40 percent of AT&T's managers are female, while nationally women are just 36 percent of managers. Thirty percent of AT&T's managers are people of color, while nationally people of color make up 22 percent of managers, professionals and related occupations. AT&T has 10 Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) that are open to all employees and reflect the diversity of the company's employee and customer base. SUPPLIER DIVERSITY AT&T has been a leader in supplier diversity since 1968 – making a difference for minority-, women- and disabled veteran-owned business enterprises. AT&T has achieved some of the highest supplier diversity spending results in the country. More than $50 billion has been spent with minority, women and disabled veteran businesses since 1968. AT&T spent $6.9 billion, or 14.2 percent of our total procurement, with diversity suppliers in 2009. COMMUNITY IMPACT AT&T is committed to enriching and strengthening diverse communities nationwide. AT&T and the AT&T Foundation support nonprofit organizations and projects that increase inclusion and create opportunities for diverse populations. Nearly $155 million was contributed by AT&T and its employees through corporate-, employee- and AT&T Foundation-giving programs in 2009. In 2008, the AT&T Foundation announced the recipients of more than $29 million in high school success grants with nearly 70 percent of the grants were directed to minority communities. SM

Corporate Supplier Diversity

Letâ€™s Talk

By establishing and supporting partnerships with the diverse business community, Wells Fargo increases opportunities for minority, women and disadvantaged business enterprises (MWDBEs) to participate as partners and suppliers. We recognize that these diverse firms enhance our competitive advantage in the marketplace and contribute to the sustainability of the communities we serve. For more information, contact the Wells Fargo Corporate Supplier Diversity team at supplierdiversity@wellsfargo.com.

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2011 SPECIAL EDITION

Table of Contents

Charlotte Multicultural

Departments

Resource Guide

8 Publisher’s letter 39 C ommunity and business directory

Business spotlights 14 Taste for success 18 Tough as nails 19 Picture perfect 26 Fulfilling journey 27 Multicultural morsels

Features

12 Open house 16 Flavor, enhanced

20 Expanding more than minds 22 All eyes on Charlotte 24 Bonding across borders 30 Proud to serve 32 Dream come true 34 Making it happen

36 Eastern hospitality

Sección en Español 54 Fusión cultural 55 El sabor del éxito 56 Casa abierta 58 Haciéndolo posible

www.charlotteresourceguide.com

Cultural fusion “

ultural fusion” is what took place on Jan. 15 at the Westin Charlotte. A spectacular celebration of diversity was held at the 18th annual Lowe’s Pride Awards. The high-energy event enlightened, by Dee Dixon entertained and educated approximately 700 guests about cultural diversity while recognizing the achievements of three outstanding leaders who have accomplished much to build social capital in our city. Cidney Holliday, a senior at South Mecklenburg High School, received the Pride Youth Diversity Champion Award. Ranked in the top 10 percent of her class, she is the founder of a service organization designed to promote sisterhood and unity among girls of all ethnic backgrounds ( P.E.A.R.L.S.) and plays a strategic role in her school’s Hispanic Outreach and Gay/Straight Alliance clubs. Cidney received $15,000 in scholarship money. Cidney Holliday Denise Howard, founder and co-chair of the Bloodless Medicine Committee at Carolinas Medical Center and the recipient of Pride’s Community Diversity Champion Award, was honored for her service to many diverse populations within our region. Denise Howard Eric Watson of Food/Delhaize America received the Corporate Diversity Champion Award for his leadership and passion for diversity and inclusion within the corporation as well as throughout the community. In addition to honoring the above, Eric Watson 8

Charlotte Multicultural Resource Guide

the Women’s Inter-cultural Exchange and the Mecklenburg County Bar/Foundation competed for a $10,000 donation from the Pride Awards and its sponsors. Each presented a two-minute video and performed live for the audience. The result? Both of these outstanding organizations received $10,000 each! Some very interesting “Did You Knows?” about Charlotte were shown to the audience during a scrumptious meal. Let me share a few with you now. (Visit www.charlotteresourceguide.com for more stats.) • Deepening Charlotte’s diversity, the 2000 Census lists 10,718 residents who report being of two or more races. Source: Census Bureau • Ninety-two thousand Charlotteans speak a language other than English in their home. Source: Census Bureau • North Carolina has seen the most significant growth in its Asian population, growing more than 30 percent over five years. Source: Carolinas Asian American Chamber of Commerce • Over a third of Charlotte’s population is African-American. Source: Census Bureau • Eleven percent of Charlotte is Hispanic or Latino. Source: Census Bureau • In only five years, 26,500 new residents moved to Charlotte from foreign countries. Source: Census Bureau • There are 52,000 Asian-Americans in the Charlotte area. Source: Carolinas Asian American Chamber of Commerce It was a night of diversity Charlotte will long remember. If you didn’t attend, you missed a great evening. Right now, join me in thanking AT&T for sponsoring this special edition of the Charlotte Multicultural Resource Guide. Cynthia Marshall, Venessa Harrison, Todd Lanham and their entire team made an informative and educational magazine come to fruition. Their belief in making diversity a way of life is evident as they continue to connect people of all walks of life to our changing world. Please read and enjoy.

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$50 minimum deposit to open new account, accounts closed within 180 days will be charged a $25 fee, and returned check and overdraft fees apply to all checking accounts. Earn rewards points by using your Homeowner Plus Value Credit Card and Fifth Third Gold Debit Card with Homeowner Plus Value Package Rewards. Points are used to make principal reductions on your mortgage. Loans are subject to credit review and approval. Fifth Third Bank, Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender. Mortgage products offered by Fifth Third Mortgage Company and Fifth Third Mortgage-MI, LLC.

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2011 SPECIAL EDITION

Charlotte Multicultural Resource Guide Publisher Dee Dixon

Editor

Constance Holloway

Editorial Assistant/Writer Angela Lindsay Hilst

Contributor

Astrid Chirinos

Creative Director Fabi Preslar

Sales Assistant Jennifer Johnson (704) 375-9553

Interns

Edward Henderson Brittany Norton Jimmette Williams

Public Relations

Nepherterra Estrada

Sales & Distribution (704) 375-9553

Design & Production

SPARK Publications www.SPARKpublications.com

Web Address

www.charlotteresourceguide.com

Subscribe to Pride

$13.25. Please subscribe online at www.pridemagazine.net or mail to P.O. Box 30113, Charlotte, NC 28230

Letters to the Editor

Please e-mail to editor@pridecommunications.net, fax to (704) 375-9550 or mail to Pride Magazine 312 W. Trade St., Suite 702 Charlotte, NC 28202

www.pridemagazine.net

F eature

Open house Steele Creek Church among places of worship with more diverse congregations by Angela Lindsay photos courtesy of Steele Creek Church of Charlotte

Steele Creek Church of Charlotte consists of a â€œmulticultural and multi-ethnic ministry.â€?

oday, despite all of the strides made regarding race relations, houses of worship are one of the last segments of our society to truly diversify. However, several churches in Charlotte have transcended this seemingly final frontier in integration, and their

Charlotte Multicultural Resource Guide

congregations have become more reflective of our society. One such congregation is Steele Creek Church of Charlotte. According to a September 2010 report by Urban Christian News, nine out of 10 congregations still have a single racial group

Steele Creek’s worshippers include Africans, Arabs, Asians, European-Americans, Haitians and Latinos.

“One of the benefits of having a diverse congregation is that one can learn how to better minister to and receive ministering from persons who are different.” — Ted White that accounts for more than 80 percent of their membership. However, according to the Bible, says Ted White, home fellowship pastor at Steele Creek Church of Charlotte, “(Jesus Christ) was intentional in reaching out to people of diverse ethnic, geographical, class and religious perspectives . . . One of the benefits of having a diverse congregation is that one can learn how to better minister to and receive ministering from persons who are different. . . According to the scriptures, every tribe, every tongue and every nation will be represented in heaven; therefore, should not our churches have a quest to reflect heaven here on Earth? Secondly, we find in John 17, Jesus prays that we all should be one as he and the father are one. Oneness between all people, not sameness, but oneness.” This is the premise on which SCCC was founded in 1985. SCCC describes itself as “a multicultural and multi-ethnic ministry united by their faith in Jesus Christ.” It claims to have nearly 50 nations represented through its members and missionaries.White says the church was intentional in reaching out initially to African-Americans and whites in the West Boulevard/Jackson Park communities. “Over time, the Steele Creek leadership was very intentional in expanding its focus to serve all nations of the world through reaching out to the leadership of various ethnic communities,” he explains.

Although the church does not officially calculate its demographics, White estimates it consists of 50 percent white Americans and 25 percent African-Americans. The other 25 percent includes Latinos, Africans, Arabs, Asians, European-Americans and Haitians. White feels one of the factors contributing to the growing number of diverse church congregations is that some families want to experience their spiritual journeys with a more diverse community of believers. Recruiting leaders, resolving conflicts “The diversity is many times already reflected in their neighborhoods, schools and the workplace. If not, a weekly diverse church experience can serve as an outlet for persons living in a more day-to-day, homogeneous cultural experience,” he offers. A few ways SCCC strives to keep its congregation so diverse are through recruiting and developing diverse leadership, elevating the unique value of each cultural group, and “tenaciously” pursuing the reconciliation of conflicts caused by cultural barriers and miscommunication. The church also offers four services in English, one in Spanish, one in Portuguese, one in FrenchCreole, one in Arabic, an African service and a Messianic service. “In order for churches to be more integrated, it will take the buy-in, commitment, and practice of the church leadership in reaching out to and valuing diversity within their congregations, White says. “Also, integration is sometimes feared because in many cases the result is not integration, but actually could result in assimilation. Instead of a family seeking to embrace, learn about and appreciate another culture, a family may end up losing their own culture due to a devaluing of their culture by the lack of representation in a church’s leadership, worship style, visuals, etc.” White concedes that as a church seeks to become more diverse, it may lose some of its identity, but “it will have to make adjustments in order to provide an inviting bridge for diverse communities to feel welcome and to become part of the community of believers.” He says doing so provides the opportunity for developing deeper relationships with people of other cultures. “The more we interact and intentionally seek diverse experiences with persons who are different, pre-judgments without information can be replaced with exciting opportunities to learn how to love and to develop genuine and deepening relationships with persons and families who are different,” White asserts. CMRG www.charlotteresourceguide.com

B usiness S potlight

Taste for success Charlotte-based distributor, food-service company keeps sushi bars well-stocked by Brittany Norton

n 1989, Philip Maung moved to America with the hope that he would be able to create a name for himself. Less than 10 years later, Maung did just that when he decided to open Hissho Sushi in Charlotte. His food service and distribution company now manages and operates more than 400 sushi bars across the U.S. And in 2009, Maung received the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award for the Southeast division. Hissho, by the way, is the Japanese word for “victory.” “I came from a background of food, and sushi was very popular when I was living in Los Angeles, so I decided to bring more of it to the Charlotte area,” says Maung, Hissho Sushi’s CEO and founder. His franchise business consists of more than 400 locations worldwide. The largest challenge for Maung was getting the money to finance his business. When the banks wouldn’t come through, Maung turned to the only source he knew would always be there: his family. One characteristic of Hissho Sushi that sets it apart from similar businesses is Maung’s determination to ensure that his culture is always present in everything that Hissho does. “We want our workers to be a family,” he says. For example, Maung established 11 core values to ensure a deeper connection among employees, and between employees and customers. According to Maung, “It’s our people that set us apart from the rest. We work hard day in and day out, and maintain a positive team spirit.” One of those core values relates to servitude and giving back. Over the Thanksgiving holiday last year, Hissho Sushi employees in Charlotte volunteered at the Charlotte Rescue Mission. During 2011, Maung would like to open the kitchen for people in need during the holidays. “We try to be good citizens and give back. As Hisshonians, we love to encourage others. We want people to come to us when they’re down,” says Maung. 14

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“It’s our people that set us apart from the rest. We work hard day in and day out, and maintain a positive team spirit.” — Philip Maung As for other plans, Philip Maung is in the process of establishing 30 more locations in the U.S, and has a goal of hitting 1,000 restaurants nationwide. “There could also be a possibility of going international. Timing is everything,” Maung says. CMRG

att.com

life. it’s all about connections. At AT&T we know access to the Internet is no longer a luxury. It’s how we learn, find jobs, and connect with family and friends. It drives innovation, creates investment, and builds a stronger community. With 47% of English-speaking Hispanics (compared to 32% of all adults) accessing the Internet on a mobile device,* America’s Hispanic community is redefining what it means to be connected. AT&T is proud to be a leader in providing wireless voice and data services. Bringing the power of the Internet to everyone — no matter where you live or where you go. Expanding our high-speed wireless network is just one of the ways AT&T is working to keep America connected to limitless possibilities. *Source: “Wireless Internet Use,” Pew Internet & American Life Project, July 2009.

F eature

Flavor, enhanced Customers take a liking to products added to grocer’s store shelves by Angela Lindsay photos courtesy of Food Lion

To better serve Hispanic and Latino buyers, Food Lion has added specialized canned foods and produce items to its offerings.

“The Hispanic/Latino community has been very supportive and acknowledged our efforts to provide quality products at great prices.” — Eric Watson

ood Lion has added a little flavor to its food offerings -- a little Latin flavor, that is. The Salisbury — based grocery store chain began work on its Sabor Latino (or “Latin Flavor” in Spanish) initiative in 2009. The Hispanic store project emerged from Food Lion’s work to cater to its broader customer segments in the markets in which the grocer operates. “In this situation, we recognize that the 16

Charlotte Multicultural Resource Guide

Hispanic population is growing rapidly in North Carolina,” explains Daniel Herrera, Hispanic marketing manager for Delhaize America, Food Lion’s parent company. “We have certain stores in the state where we have a large number of Daniel Herrera Latinos who shop our stores. Therefore, we took the opportunity to expand our product base, adding more than 1,000 products to certain locations.” These products included special cuts of meat and a variety of beef, pork, chicken and

seafood items that are popular with Hispanic/ Latino shoppers. Customers can also expect to find specialized center store items and specialty deli and bakery items, such as tres leche (three milk) cakes and bolillo rolls, a type of bread traditionally made in Mexico and South American countries. In the produce section are items such as jicama, a Mexican turnip and aloe vera leaves. According to a recent Food Marketing Institute report, 67 percent of Hispanic consumers make meals largely from scratch and only 9 percent prepare meals using convenience foods. Additionally, when Hispanics eat at home, 85 percent of their meals are taken from traditional Hispanic menus and many are meat-based. ‘Quality products at great prices’ Eric Watson, vice president of the office of diversity and inclusion for Delhaize America, says Food Lion utilized extensive consumer and market research to provide convenient and relevant products to its customers. In addition to the products, the company conducted associate training to enable its teams to better serve this customer segment, including specialized talent acquisition and Hispanic cultural training. Herrera says the company’s efforts with Sabor Latino have been well received. “We have received positive feedback from

our Hispanic/Latino customers and the community about our Sabor Latino strategy,” he states. “The Hispanic/Latino community has been very supportive and acknowledged our efforts to provide quality products at great prices.” Eric Watson Watson adds that the Sabor Latino venture is a reflection of the company’s larger commitment to diversity. “At Food Lion, we are strongly committed to creating an inclusive environment where each and every customer and associate feels valued and appreciated. We believe diversity is a business imperative. As the demographics in our market areas continue to change, the Food Lion family of banners will continue to understand its customer needs and attempt to meet those needs from specialized product offerings to services to meet a wide variety of customer demographics. As we integrate diversity awareness throughout our company, we are working to ensure the shopping experiences of all customers will reflect the communities in which we serve.” CMRG

Serving a community means being a part of it. With over 135 years of community service, BB&t proudly supports diversity in the communities we serve. over the years, BB&t has offered its support to a wide variety of cultural programs in the communities where we live and do business. We invite you to stop by your local BB&t and experience BB&t’s commitment to sharing financial knowledge and insight first hand. BB&t cra/community Development 200 s. college street, suite 1830, charlotte, nc 28202 704-954-1100 BB&t, member fDic. BBt.com. ©2011 BB&t. www.charlotteresourceguide.com

B usiness S potlight

Tough as nails Salon owner survives economy and the rigors of the business by Brittany Norton photos by George Harrison

Lien Pham

tarting with a salon staffed by only three employees, Lee Nails has grown to become a trusted name in Charlotte. That’s due to Lien Pham, the original and current owner of the salon. Lee Nails has been around for about17 years and most of the employees there have been working for 10 to 15 years. These employees, and the bond that they share, help to keep the salon going. Pham knows all too well that what she and her employees are doing is not always an easy task, but she enjoys doing what she loves. “In the beginning I had a lot of problems,” Pham explains. “Money was extremely tight and the economy was not in very good shape, which made it hard to keep the salon. The first year was really hard. I had to work all of the time and I used to cry every day.” Pham has not changed the prices of her 18

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salons’ services, though she has updated her products and added services to meet customer demand. Those services include waxings and eyelash extensions. The most popular requests, by far, are for acrylic and gel nails. “The money that the customers give goes right back into the shop,” Pham explains. “We use it to remodel when necessary, and to purchase new furniture.” What does this busy entrepreneur like most about her job? “I love to just meet and get to know my customers. I talk to so many different people. I like to provide service and make them happy,” says Pham. CMRG

Ricky Lam assists a customer.

Lien Pham, right, watches as Lin Su works with customer Judy Parker in the background, and Thu Nguyen works with customer Judy Wolfe in the foreground.

B usiness S potlight

Picture perfect Film-production company puts projects in a good light by Jimmette Williams photo courtesy of Emulsion Arts

aking its name from the light-sensitive coating on photographic film and paper, Emulsion Arts has evolved under the leadership of Joanne Hock. The Emulsion team consists of four females who are all different yet share a common passion for putting art into motion. This filmproduction company, located in Charlotte’s NoDa arts district, has garnered numerous awards and international acclaim. Emulsion Arts’ client base is extensive; it has produced various full-length documentaries, ad campaigns and motion-picture projects for companies such as BMW, Bank of America, Black Entertainment

Television, Wake Forest University, the Levine Museum of the New South, PBS Kids, Foundation For The Carolinas and The Light Factory: Museum of Photography and Film. The work that the women produce depends solely on the views of the client. Their clientele is a mixture of advertising and production agencies and companies. Some projects are in-house corporate films while others are external. No two productions are alike. “We take pride in every word, every sound, every image and every single film we create,” says the company’s chief executive officer, Robin Grey. CMRG

Emulsion Arts’ Heidi Dove, left, and Joanne Hock, far right, actors Dan Cox, background, Rowan Churchyard, center, and Rachel St. Gervais share a moment on the set of a feature film. www.charlotteresourceguide.com

F eature

Expanding more than minds HBCUs attract a growing number of students from other races and ethnicities by Angela Lindsay

istorically Black Colleges and Universities were once the primary options for many African-Americans wanting to attend college. Now, many HBCUs, like Johnson C. Smith University, are experiencing an increase in non-African American student enrollment and have even evolved their recruiting and admissions practices to attract a more diverse student population. JCSU’s international and diverse recruitment counselor travels to domestic and international territories with highly diverse populations to establish and maintain its recruitment efforts. The counselor develops partnerships and attends college fairs in places such as St. Thomas, the 20

Charlotte Multicultural Resource Guide

Bahamas, and Trinidad and Tobago. Dwight Sanchez, JCSU’s interim senior associate director of admissions/head of admissions and former IDRC, says such efforts are “positioning students of color to be global students as well as to become globally competitive.” “The idea behind the admissions strategies for recruiting diverse students is basically making it look more like the world rather than it being a place where all African-Americans students can attend, although that’s not a problem,” he explains. “We’re trying to make it where students come here (and) they’re put into a room — they could be Chinese, Caucasian, Latin American or someone from the Caribbean — to engage in

Photo courtesy of Johnson C. Smith University

Tyler Rabb, left, and Asia Mapp study together at Johnson C. Smith University.

JCSU’s international and diverse recruitment counselor travels to domestic and international territories with highly diverse populations to establish and maintain its recruitment efforts. cultural exchanges, difference of opinion, different perspectives to basically have the world at his or her reach and interface like that.”

Sanchez, a native of Spain and raised on St. Thomas island, says the school’s desire to broaden its reach “isn’t specifically geared toward one population or one group,” but it has an “institutional vision to diversify the campus altogether.” He says reports have indicated a need for JCSU to diversify its student body. “It’s necessary for us to compete with other institutions that already have” diversity initiatives. Hispanics, whites and others come to campus According to a 2009 demographic report by the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, which represents almost half of the nation’s 105 HBCUs, there has been a steady increase in enrollment of Hispanic and Asian students at public HBCUs from 1986 to 2006. Although Caucasian enrollment numbers have slipped in recent years, Hispanic, Asian and multi-ethnic student enrollment in its member institutions jumped from 6 percent to 8 percent of the student population during that time. Currently, JCSU’s student body is 96.4 percent African-American, 0.4 percent Hispanic, 0.4 percent Caucasian, and 2.8 percent listed as other or unknown. While a noticeable change to JCSU’s diversity numbers has been “nominal” since its initiatives began, the plan is “on (its) way to yielding some results that would show that they are working,” Sanchez says. CMRG

www.charlotteresourceguide.com

F eature

All eyes on Charlotte City and 16 surrounding counties attract attention of tourists and businesses worldwide by Angela Lindsay images courtesy of Visit Charlotte

The NASCAR Hall of Fame is among the newest venues in uptown Charlotte.

here are only so many times a person can go souvenir shopping while visiting a new city. Luckily for visitors to Charlotte, the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority has all the answers to satisfy their curiosity and provide their entertainment needs. The CRVA was formed in 2004 as a collaboration between its sales and marketing arm, Visit Charlotte, (the convention and visitors bureau) and the Auditorium-ColiseumConvention Center Authority, through which it manages Bojangles’ Coliseum, Charlotte Convention Center, NASCAR Hall of Fame, Ovens Auditorium and Time Warner Cable 22

Charlotte Multicultural Resource Guide

Arena. The CRVA works to ensure that guests to this city enjoy exciting destinations and have positive experiences while here. According to Molly Hedrick, CRVA’s senior director of communications, the Charlotte region is Molly Hedrick projected to attract more than 19 million visitors in 2011 and

The Charlotte Convention Center hosts events such as the National Rifle Association convention, which took place last year.

“Charlotte really does have lot. A lot of culture, entertainment, attractions, cuisine, history, beauty and excitement. Whether visiting for leisure or attending for business, the visitor can find something that not only makes them comfortable in our city but allows them to experience true Southern comfort and hospitality.” — Molly Hedrick

pump more than $4 billion into the local economy. Currently, the CRVA has more than 600 affiliations in and around the 16-county Charlotte region, which includes hotels, attractions, restaurants, sports and recreation facilities, services and organizations. It seeks to not only bring a variety of visitors and events to the region but also to encourage repeat visits and return business. “Charlotte really does have lot. A lot of culture, entertainment, attractions, cuisine, history, beauty and excitement. Whether visiting for leisure or attending for business, the visitor can find something that not only makes them comfortable in our city but allows them to experience true Southern comfort and hospitality,” says Hedrick. 600 events, 2 million attendees With an annual operating budget exceeding $30 million, the CRVA facilities host more than 600 events, such as the recent National Rifle Association convention. It is currently vying for the Democratic National Convention. Hedrick adds that data from the Visitors Info Center and the flights added by Charlotte/Douglas International Airport over the last two years indicate that Charlotte is attracting growing interest from countries around the world. “We have increased media interest from Germany, the U.K., Canada and Japan for tourism information. With all visitation, unless the hotel or attraction and perhaps the

convention being held tracks originating cities, we will not know if a direct impact is being made on specific countries or cities, but we do know that Charlotte has the assets to attract and keep attracting visitors from around the world,” she says. In this vein, the CRVA works closely with the Charlotte International Cabinet and also has an internal diversity committee that meets quarterly. It provides diversity training and other opportunities for employees. “It’s a terrific collaboration!” exclaims Hedrick. “CRVA has a strong responsibility in this area and are happy to be a part of growing and nurturing diverse and international involvement wherever possible.” CMRG

Executive Chef Bill Cahill leads the staff at the Charlotte Convention Center. www.charlotteresourceguide.com

F eature

Bonding across borders Nonprofit caters to international community, promotes dialogue about various cultures by Angela Lindsay photos by Greg Briley

hether they are looking for a new experience or a new beginning, people coming to Charlotte can start their journey at the International House. Founded in 1981, the International House is a nonprofit with a mission to promote crosscultural communication and understanding and serve the international community of Charlotte, which numbers more than 104,000 immigrants and foreign-born citizens. “Charlotte has a rapidly growing immigrant community and the need for quality services for these people is higher than ever,” explains

Hendrik van Vuuren, development director for International House and a native of South Africa. “More than 15 percent of the people in Charlotte are foreign born, and children from 152 different countries attend CMS (CharlotteMecklenburg Schools). There are many people in the area that do not speak English. Over 90,000 people in our community speak a language other than English at home. We also provide legal, cultural and educational services to these immigrants. We bring the world to Charlotte through our cultural events and our visitors program.”

Members of the Brazilian Youth Ambassadors (front: Maysa Leoandro de Assis, Paloma Pozos, Hope Johnson; back: Gabriela Cristina Benevides Tom, Déberth Cláudio da Silva Nascimento, Natanael dos Santos Ferreira, Alexandre Monçalo Neto and João Alcim Souza João Neves) enjoy a recent visitors to Panthers Stadium in Charlotte. They are part of the International House’s International Visitors Program. 24

Charlotte Multicultural Resource Guide

Riley Fields gives the Brazilian students a behind-the-scenes tour of Panthers Stadium.

“More than 15 percent of the people in Charlotte are foreign born, and children from 152 different countries attend CMS (Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools).” — Hendrick Van Vuuren The organization’s services include foreignlanguage conversation hours, cultural events, an international book club, citizen diplomacy programs, an international women’s group, language classes, free citizenship workshops and legal services for low-income immigrants. It is also a resource center for internationals, social service organizations, schools, businesses, the media and others.

two teenage children served as home hosts for two weeks last summer to a teenage student from Iraq. Home hosts are responsible for transporting their guests to the International House in the mornings and evenings, serving their guests breakfast and dinner, and generally making their guests feel welcome while experiencing the city and American life. Bernstein describes the experience as “well worth it and a lot of fun.” One of the highlights of the experience was a two-day trip that the family took to Charleston. The Seigel-Bernsteins say they were “fascinated” by the chance to get a glimpse of another country through the eyes of someone from there. “We got a lot out of this experience,” Bernstein says. Other citizen diplomacy options with International House include spending an evening serving as dinner hosts for a group of visitors. Charlotte businesses can also serve as hosts and teach people from around the globe about American practices and culture, to explain their industry and what they do, or to take the guests on a tour of their offices. Says van Vuuren, “The world we live in is becoming more diverse by the day and we at International House are seeking to make a difference by embracing cultural differences and striving to create a more vibrant community.” CMRG

Help with immigration law among its offerings Over the past 12 months, the International House has hosted more than 5,000 individuals through its language conversation hours and taught 163 low-income immigrants to speak and write English. It has welcomed 240 international visitors; served more than 850 people through its Immigration Law Clinic; trained and coordinated more than 100 community volunteers; and enabled 1,000 children and their families to experience other cultures through its annual “A Children’s World of Play” event. These activities and events have not only brought international guests into the fold of American society but also have enriched the lives of many Charlotteans. Through International House, Charlotte natives Adam Bernstein, his wife, Tammy Seigel, and their www.charlotteresourceguide.com

B usiness S potlight

Fulfilling journey Faith, confidence and guidance help corporate director reach her goals by Angela Lindsay photo by Greg Briley

Venessa Harrison oversees AT&T’s External and Legislative Affairs department.

“

ife is not a destination, it’s a journey” is the advice Venessa Harrison says she often passes along to others. It was her own journey through the ranks of AT&T that took her from an entry-level position in operator services to her current role as executive director and chief of staff. The Raleigh native did not even have a college degree when she joined the company 31 years ago, but she ultimately earned a business management degree from the University of Phoenix. She now oversees the day-to-day operations of the External and Legislative Affairs department, supporting AT&T-North Carolina President Cynthia Marshall. In addition, she has primary responsibility for statewide external affairs and works with the AT&T Foundation in coordinating the company’s philanthropic activities in North Carolina. 26

Charlotte Multicultural Resource Guide

“AT&T not only provided me a job, but they provided me a career and a career path that I could measure in three- to five-year increments,” she says. Harrison says she was “blessed” to have had some of the “sharpest and most committed mentors” to teach her and who allowed her “to stand on their shoulders and grow based on their knowledge and wisdom.” However, most important was the faith and confidence she had in herself, and she encourages others to be determined, surround themselves with positive people, set high goals and stay focused. The married mother of two daughters is a member of the Women’s Inter-Cultural Exchange, State Superintendent Career Ready Commission and the South Tryon Community Development Board and other civic organizations. She attends University Park Baptist Church. CMRG

B usiness S potlight

Multicultural morsels University-area eatery serves Moroccan, Middle Eastern and Mediterranean dishes by Angela Lindsay photos by George Harrison

Casablanca Cafe’s decor and cuisine reflect its varied origins.

estaurateur Sam Roussi is adding to Charlotte’s diverse dining landscape with his eclectic eatery, Casablanca Café, which opened this past February in the University area. Specializing in authentic cuisine from Roussi’s native Morocco as well as Middle Eastern and Mediterranean fare, Casablanca Café’s menu comprises family recipes and includes staples like falafel, hummus, babaghannouj, couscous and gyros. However, Roussi says the kebabs — which he seasons and marinates in cilantro, olive oil, lemon, garlic, paprika, cumin, salt and pepper, and serves with saffron rice, grilled vegetables and pita bread — are the most popular item. Daily house specials also keep Casablanca Café’s steady stream of repeat patrons satisfied and as well as diners searching for new tastes. Roussi describes his business model as “Moroccan-American fast food.” The menu is displayed on the wall and patrons place their order at a counter. However, Casablanca Café offers a healthier and more affordable dining alternative compared to traditional American fast food. The only thing fried on the menu: French fries. Roussi prefers to stew or grill food instead, and his restaurant serves large portions (often big enough for two people) for an average of $8.99 per platter. The restaurant also caters for all occasions. CMRG www.charlotteresourceguide.com

ook closely at Charlotte and you’ll discover a lot. Masterpieces on display from diverse artists, a shrine for legends with the NASCAR Hall of Fame and inspired artistic performances are among the debuts the city is proud to tout and we’re not stopping there. Charlotte is undoubtedly on the rise … and in more ways than one. Arts aficionados won’t want to miss out on a thriving cultural scene with everything from neighborhood gallery crawls to alfresco symphony concertos. Most notably, the nationally renowned Levine Center for the Arts is a haven for extraordinary works, thanks to gems like the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture. Named for Charlotte’s first African-American mayor, the facility relocates

Charlotte Multicultural Resource Guide

Photos courtesy of Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority

Charlotte’s got a lot

the Afro-American Cultural Center, a 35-yearold institution. The three exhibit spaces host major traveling and permanent exhibitions brimming with fine arts, crafts, and historical and cultural displays. The center also encompasses the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art featuring modern works new to a North American

Photos courtesy of Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority

audience, the Knight Theater hosting regional and national performing arts groups and a new facility for the Mint Museum-Uptown. Meanwhile, Levine Museum of the New South documents the rich history of Charlotte’s role in the “New South” with vibrant exhibits including its timeless and award-winning “Cotton Fields to Skyscrapers.” Visitors can relive a civil rights era sit-in at a lunch counter or even stroll down a recreated main street to try on a hat in an early Belk department store. See the city with fresh eyes by taking advantage of helpful resources like Crown City Guides, Charlotte Tours and Charlotte NC Tours, all Queen City experts that provide insightful excursions. For foodies, the region may be known for stickto-your-ribs sustenance with staples like pimento

cheese, barbecue, and just about anything deep fried or dripping with butter at favorites like Mert’s Heart & Soul and Mac’s Speed Shop, but Charlotte’s ready to challenge even the most discriminating palate. Visitors will find worldly culinary creations that crisscross the globe ranging from tangy tapas at Press Wine/Food to satisfying sushi at Enso Asian Bistro and Sushi Bar. Not to mention enough steakhouses to exhaust even the most enthusiastic carnivore. With a community so rich in captivating culture, colorful cityscapes and cosmopolitan character, the thriving quality of life here is abundantly clear. Find out more about Charlotte by calling (800) 231-4636 or visiting www.charlottesgotalot.com. CMRG

Inspire Look closely at Charlotte and you’ll discover a lot. A lot at the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art to stimulate the senses. And over a mile of arts and performance venues to ignite the imagination. Find a lot more at 800-231-4636 or charlottesgotalot.com. www.charlotteresourceguide.com

F eature

Proud to serve Manager’s role provides perfect opportunity to aid fellow workers, community by Angela Lindsay Hilst photo by Greg Briley

“

eadership is about service to others,” says Gerald King, the national president of Community NETwork-African American Telecommunications Professionals of AT&T. Since assuming the title more than a year ago, he has been using his position to impart a positive influence on the lives of others. King, 51, began his AT&T career 29 years ago as a telephone operator in his native Birmingham, Ala. A Charlotte resident since 2000, he is now a certified project manager, where he handles major broadband network implementations for AT&T Enterprise clients. His experience helped lay the groundwork leading to perhaps his most pivotal role at AT&T: heading up Community NETwork. Community NETwork is AT&T’s employee resource group for African-Americans. Established in 1969, the nonprofit has 1,800 members and 37 chapters across the U.S. Its mission is to “enhance the visibility, to improve opportunities and to encourage and facilitate personal and professional growth of AfricanAmerican employees at AT&T.” A major focus of CN is community service. It works with such organizations as the National Urban League, the NAACP and the United Negro College Fund, for which it raised more than $250,000 over the last three years. The organization also provides scholarships, with the national branch giving $15,000 in scholarships and the local chapters combined giving a total of $72,500 in scholarships in 2010.

Gerald King is a 29-year veteran of AT&T. 30

Charlotte Multicultural Resource Guide

‘The mills weren’t for me’ King traces his passion for education to his parents. The son of a social worker and postal carrier, he learned the importance of education at an early age. With the public schools in turmoil, his parents enrolled him in parochial school. “There weren’t too many African-American Catholics,” he recalls with a chuckle.

“The best thing that I get out of being the (CN) president is actually using that platform to affect people’s lives.” — Gerald King Birmingham was then a center for steel manufacturing and some of his school counselors tried to steer him in that direction or toward other manual labor jobs.“There’s nothing wrong in working hard or in working with your hands, he says. “But the mills weren’t for me. I

was interested in electrical engineering.” His commitment to helping students stay in school and achieve an education intersected with CN in a tangible way this past August when King hosted CN’s national convention in Charlotte. More than 200 CN members from across the country participated. Says King: “The best thing that I get out of being the (CN) president is actually using that platform to affect people’s lives. If we can bring something positive or something that has a positive effect on a person’s life, then that’s what’s meaningful to me.” CMRG

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F eature

Dream come true Cuban refugee survives harrowing childhood, finds unexpected opportunities by Angela Lindsay Hilst photos by Greg Briley

t age 9, Cary Infanzon wasn’t playing with Barbie dolls. She was en route to a strange, new land in hopes of a better life. Alone. Born in Havana, Cuba, Infanzon was part of a national charitable organization known as Pedro Pan Group Inc. (also called Peter Pan). Pedro Pan was created in 1960 by the Catholic Welfare Bureau of Miami at the request of parents in Cuba who wanted to send their children to Miami to avoid Marxist-Leninist indoctrination. In 1961, the State Department authorized CWB to notify parents in Cuba that visa requirements had been waived for their children, allowing them to travel via commercial flights to Miami. These children were placed in foster homes or taken to an orphanage. The Rev. Bryan O. Walsh, a Catholic priest and director of CWB in 1960, was made aware of the plight of unaccompanied minors when a man brought a 15-year-old Cuban boy named Pedro – for whom the program is named — to his office. The boy had come to Miami to live with relatives, but the family was destitute. CWB was asked to provide foster care. Realizing the large number of unaccompanied minors among the refugees seeking a safe haven, Walsh informed an aide sent by President Eisenhower to assess the needs of Cuban refugees in Miami. The aide recommended that Eisenhower approve funds for the care of unaccompanied minors if the children could get to Miami. Like many other Cuban parents, Infanzon’s parents made the ultimate sacrifice. “I think my parents were not selfish, that they were willing to give me up for a better country, for freedom. They knew what was coming down the pipeline in Cuba. They let me go, not knowing if they would ever see me again,” she explains. Infanzon arrived in Miami on Feb. 26, 1962. She was placed in foster care for three years until her parents could arrive. After three years, she moved with her parents 32

Charlotte Multicultural Resource Guide

Cary Infanzon feels it is important to know about different cultures to avoid offending people and to foster understanding.

Cary Infanzon’s passport.

“I went through a lot, but I’m not a victim. On the contrary, it makes you stronger.” — Cary Infanzon to Chicago, where it was challenging getting to know her parents again after being separated from them for so long. Though still a minor, she soon took on a more central role in the family by becoming her parents’ translator and assisting them with tasks such as opening a checking account and gaining citizenship. Her growing pains were often marked by hardship and embarrassment. She recalls an incident in elementary school when the teacher wanted to use an overhead projector and asked Infanzon, who was sitting next to the light switch, to turn off the lights. She did not immediately understand that the teacher was addressing her and was ridiculed by her classmates. Before leaving for America, Infanzon received a taste of the challenges that cultural differences could bring on her journey. Her hair, as seen in her passport photo, was cut very short because her mother did not want to burden anyone with dealing with it in America. While her hair eventually grew back, Infanzon retains one lasting physical reminder of her adversity. During her last year of foster care, she was placed under the care of an aunt. Since her aunt only received $28 a month from the government, Infanzon was forced to wear shoes that were too small, and her toes are permanently curled. However, she is not bitter about her experiences. “I went through a lot, but I’m not a victim,” she says. “On the contrary, it makes you stronger.”

‘The key word is respect’ That resilience led Infanzon to begin working toward her own American dream. In 1970, while still in high school, she started working as a longdistance operator at AT&T (then Illinois Bell). Forty years later, she has worked her way up to her current position as a service executive helping large financial institutions with their voice communications and high-speed data “I’ve lived in Charlotte for 11 years and over that time I’ve seen the community grow and change and evolve tremendously,” says Infanzon. “We’ve seen similar changes in our company, as Cynthia Marshall has come to serve as president, AT&T North Carolina, and Carlos Sanchez has come as an external affairs director. At AT&T we continually strive for diversity, for we understand how it helps us serve our customers better, as well as enriching lives and communities.” She feels it is important to know about different cultures to avoid offending people and to foster understanding. In that vein, she has shared her story via internal presentations for AT&T’s Customer Care Group during the company’s Diversity Month. “The key word is respect,” she says, something she feels AT&T has done a wonderful job of promoting. “I’m glad and honored to be part of an organization that places a great value on inclusion and diversity and fosters it in all we do.” CMRG

www.charlotteresourceguide.com

F eature

Making it happen Organization fosters and encourages future Hispanic entrepreneurs by Edward Henderson photos by Tye Feimster

“

he American Dream” has beckoned to millions of immigrants in hopes of creating a better life in the United States. Like other immigrants, many Hispanics bring with them a strong entrepreneurial spirit. The National Hispanic Entrepreneurs Organization taps into that spirit and encourages Hispanics to “make it happen.”

The man with the vision NHEO is the brainchild of Juan Pablo Giometti. Its mission is to foster entrepreneurship and social innovation among Hispanics through mentoring, networking and communication. Currently, NHEO has 3,000 volunteers nationwide. The idea for the organization and its slogan, “Make it happen,” came while Giometti was working on his MBA at UNC Chapel Hill. Asked about how he came 34

Charlotte Multicultural Resource Guide

up with the slogan, Giometti explains that, “As entrepreneurs we like action, not just words. Many people have fear. In our culture failure is fine, but you have to learn from failure. We are like the Nike of Hispanic entrepreneurs: (We) just do it.” Identifying and solving the issues One way that NHEO realizes its mission is by raising awareness of critical issues that Hispanics face and developing strategies for change. Giometti cites these issues as lack of access to capital, lack of knowledge about opportunities and lack of role models. “A lot of (Hispanic) kids’ parents are not businesspeople. So when you open a magazine like Entrepreneur and you flip (through it), you don’t see many people who look like we look,” says Giometti. “The reason why I put my picture (on NHEO’s

Juan Pablo Giometti plans to open a student chapter of NHEO at a university in Florida.

Photo by Tye Feimster

promotional) flier is not to be famous. If we can showcase a person who looks like this, we can let (Hispanic kids) know” that they “can also make it.” NHEO holds conferences across the nation that provide networking opportunities for young entrepreneurs to meet some of the 300 mentors in their database. Collaboration is the key NEHO also recognizes the importance of partnering with others to leverage the resources that successful entrepreneurs need. Many of those partnerships involve African-American organizations. The Alliance for Digital Equality at Johnson C. Smith University and the (Johnson twins who own No Grease Barber Shop are two of those partners. “We started with what we know, which is Hispanics. If someone else is doing the same thing with African-Americans, we can work together,” says Giometti. “In entrepreneurship, the key is collaboration.” Last April, a ribbon-cutting ceremony marked the opening of the NHEO Institute at the Ben Craig Center in north Charlotte. The institute is the organization’s national headquarters. Since then, a chapter of NHEO has been created in San Francisco, and the organization plans to open a student chapter at Florida International University in Miami. CMRG For more information about the NHEO, visit www.nheo.org

www.charlotteresourceguide.com

F eature

Eastern hospitality SREE Hotels strives to bring a sense of respect and family to the hospitality industry by Edward Henderson photos courtesy of SREE Hotels

n India, “sree” is the word for “respect.” Ravi Patel, president and CEO of SREE Hotels, strives to extend that respect to his employees and the guests of his hotels. According to the Charlotte Business Journal, SREE Hotels is the largest minority employer in the city. More than 50 percent of the company’s 800 employees are minorities. The larger percentage of those employees are African-American.

From Fiji to the Queen City Patel’s unconventional journey to the hospitality industry began in the Fiji Islands where he was born. His parents were business owners and the source of his entrepreneurial aspirations. “There is something in our (family’s) genes that likes to go into business,” Patel says. Patel came to the United States to further his education in 1965; he earned his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Auburn University in Auburn, Ala. The transition from science to entrepreneurship began during his

Among SREE Hotels’ properties is this SpringHill Suites by Marriott in the Ballantyne area of Charlotte. One of the property’s guest rooms is pictured above. 36

Charlotte Multicultural Resource Guide

brief stint as co-owner of a restaurant along with some friends who were engineers in Fayetteville, N.C. “It was tough,” Patel recalls. “I was working 16 hours a day seven days a week … we were discriminated against because of our skin (color)

The Courtyard-Charlotte/Concord features a spacious lobby.

and because we were in a small town.” They gave the business back to the owner a year and a half later. Before giving up that restaurant, Patel partnered with other friends who were also engineers to purchase his first hotel in Lumberton, N.C. Since then, SREE Hotels has acquired a total of 30 hotels. Twelve of those hotels are in Charlotte. Family matters SREE Hotels is a family business. “For the last six years, (the) second generation (of our family) is running our company,” says Patel. His son, son-in-law and nephew all work for the company. Patel also acknowledges that there are advantages and disadvantages to having family work with him. “(The) disadvantage is (that) you cannot fire them,” Patel jokes. “(The) advantage is that you can trust (them) and they work hard.” Patel also notes that members of the family’s second

Changing Lives, One Smile ata Time

Photo by Tye Feimster

Ravi Patel, SREE Hotels’ CEO, and Vinay Patel, senior vice president of operations and sales, keep the business all in the family.

generation have varied educational backgrounds. He feels it is valuable to the company’s growth because they can contribute their talents to different aspects of the business. Patel credits the company’s success to his culture. “In Asian-Indian culture, we go out of (our) way to take care of our guests if anyone visits us. That culture helps us in this business.” SREE Hotels also gives back to the community. It opened the Hindu Center in Charlotte, which serves as the center for Asian-Indian culture and religious activity. The company also sponsors the annual Indian festival in uptown Charlotte. SREE Hotels has done well despite the current state of the economy, says Patel, who offers this advice to entrepreneurs trying to survive tough economic times: “If you focus, have a positive attitude and work hard, you will succeed in this country. Get the negative thoughts out of your mind. That is the key.” CMRG

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MWBE Consulting, Training and Support

Carolina Minority Supplier Development Council 704-549-1000 info@carolinasmsdc.org

Minority Business Development Agency Minority Business Enterprise Center 888-324-1551 www.mbda.gov North Carolina Coordinators’ Network P.O. Box 1856 Raleigh, NC 27602 www.mwbenetwork.org

* N.C. Office for Historically Underutilized Businesses Sheryl Cromedy Certification Specialist sheryl.cromedy@doa.nc.gov or huboffice.doa@doa.nc.gov 919-807-2330 (main) 919-807-2339 (direct) www.doa.state.nc.us/hub

N.C. Institute of Minority Economic Development 919-956-8889 info@ncimed.com www.ncimed.com

North Carolina Procurement Technical Assistance Center Small Business and Technology Development Center 704-548-1090

North Carolina Procurement Technical Assistance Center Small Business and Technology Development Center Archibald D. Black Procurement Counselor 704-548-1090, ext. 3346 ablack@sbtdc.org www.sbtdc.org

Charlotte/Mecklenburg City-County Resources

Supplier Diversity Works! 1200 Wych Lane Charlotte, NC 28273 888-550-8881 info@supplierdiversityworks.com www.supplierdiversityworks.com United Minority Contractors of North Carolina 5 W. Hargett St., Ste. 309 Raleigh, NC 27601 919-834-1211 www.umcnc.org Women’s Business Center N.C. Institute of Minority Economic Development 919-956-8889 info@ncimed.com www.ncimed.com

Organizations Certifying MWBEs Statewide Uniform Certification Program Nancy Rosado, Neighborhood and Business Services 704-336-2116 nrosado@ci.charlotte.nc.us

City of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County www.charmeck.org Mayor/City Council 704-336-2241 City Manager 704-336-2241 County Manager 704-336-2472

County Sheriff’s Office 704-336-2543 Courthouse 704-686-0400

Other City/County Offices Board of Elections 704-336-2133 Building Permits 704-336-3803 Garbage/Trash Collection/Recycling 704-336-2673 Park and Recreation 704-336-3854 Tax Office 704-336-7600

Towns Within Mecklenburg County Cornelius-Town Hall 704-892-6031 www.cornelius.org

Davidson-Town Hall 704-892-7591 www.ci.davidson.nc.us Huntersville-Town Hall 704-875-6541 www.huntersville.org Matthews-Town Hall 704-847-4411 www.matthewsnc.com

Board of County Commissioners 704-336-2472

Mint Hill-Town Hall 705-545-9726 www.minthill.com

Three-digit phone services 211 Social service agencies

Pineville-Town Hall 704-889-2291 www.pinevillenc.net

311 Charlotte-Mecklenburg County services 411 Directory assistance 511 Traffic information/accidents/ construction 711 Connections for speech- or hearing-impaired people 911 Emergencies Police Department (non-emergency) 704-353-1000 704-336-7600 www.cmpd.org Fire Department (non-emergency) 704-336-2441

Transportation

Amtrak 800-USA-RAIL (872-7245) www.amtrak.com Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) 704-336-RIDE (3366) www.charmeck.org/departments/ CATS Charlotte/Douglas International Airport 704-359-4910 (multilingual) www.charmeck.org/departments/airport

* Note: The North Carolina Office for Historically Underutilized Business instituted a Statewide Uniform Certification Program effective July 1, 2009. This program replaced all minority/woman owned business enterprise certifications offered through local municipalities. The SWUC Program allows MWBE firms to certify their business at the state level, allowing them to compete for state and local contracts. The SWUC must be accepted by all North Carolina municipalities, removing the burden of MWBE firms to certify with each municipality they wish to operate in. The city’s Small Business Opportunity Program has partnered with NC HUB to assist all citycertified MWBE firms with the transition to the SWUC. ❖ Certified MWBE Business ♦ Certified Wells Fargo Supplier Diversity Vendor www.charlotteresourceguide.com

Utilities

AT&T 888-757-6500

F eature

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utility Department 704-399-2221 Duke Energy 800-777-9898 Piedmont Natural Gas 704-525-3882 or 800-752-7504 Sewer (24-hour service) 704-357-6064 Time Warner Cable 704-377-9600 Water/Sewer Bills 704-336-2211 Water (24-hour service) 704-336-2564

Broadband Internet Providers AT&T 704-837-8491 www.att.com Earthlink 866-406-4590 www.earthlink.net Road Runner/ Time Warner Cable 866-709-0380 www.twcnc.com Windstream Communications 800-843-9214 www.windstream.com

Government Governor’s Office

Gov. Bev Purdue Office of the Governor 20301 Mail Service Center Raleigh, NC 27699-0301 919-733-4240 www.governor.state.nc.us

U.S. Senators

Richard Burr (R) Russell Senate Office Building Room 217 Washington, DC 20510 202-225-3154 336-631-6125 (North Carolina office) Kay Hagan (D) Dirksen Senate Office Building Room B40A Washington, DC 20510 202-224-6342

Charlotte Multicultural Resource Guide

310 New Bern Ave. Raleigh, NC 27601 919-856-4630 hagan.senate.gov

U.S. Representatives

Larry Kissell (D) 8th District 512 Cannon House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 202-225-3715 325 McGill Ave. #500 Concord, NC 28025 704-786-1612 kissell.house.gov Sue Myrick (R) 9th District 230 Cannon House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 202-225-1976 6525 Morrison Blvd. #402 Charlotte, NC 28211 704-362-1060 myrick.house.gov Mel L. Watt (D) 12th District 2304 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 202-225-1510 1230 W. Morehead St. #306 Charlotte, NC 28208 704-344-9950 watt.house.gov

N.C. House of Representatives Legislative Building

16 W. Jones St. Raleigh, NC 27601-1096 Legislative Office Building 300 N. Salisbury St. Raleigh, NC 27603-5925 Thom Tillis (R) District 98 LB 1002 919-733-5828 thom.tillis@ncleg.net Rodney W. Moore (D) District 99 LOB 403 919-733-5606 rodney.moore@ncleg.net Tricia Ann Cotham (D) District 100 LOB 418C 919-715-0706 tricia.cotham@ncleg.net Beverly Earle (D) District 101 LOB 634 919-715-2530 beverly.earle@ncleg.net Becky Carney (D) District 102 LB 1221 919-733-5827 becky.carney@ncleg.net

N.C. Senate

William Brawley (R) District 103 LB 313 919-733-5800 bill.brawley@ncleg.net

Legislative Office Building 300 N. Salisbury St. Raleigh, NC 27603-5925 919-733-7928

Ruth Samuelson (R) District 104 LOB 418B 919-715-3009 ruth.samuelson@ncleg.net

Tommy Tucker (R) District 35 LB 1414 919-733-7659 tommy.tucker@ncleg.net

Ric Killian (R) District 105 LB 1010 919-733-5886 ric.killian@ncleg.net

Legislative Building 16 W. Jones St. Raleigh, NC 27601-1096

Daniel “Dan” G. Clodfelter (D) District 37 LOB 408 919-715-8331 daniel.clodfelter@ncleg.net Charlie Smith Dannelly (D) District 38 LB 2010 919-733-5955 charlie.dannelly@ncleg.net Bob Rucho, DDS, (R) District 39 LOB 515 919-733-5655 bob.rucho@ncleg.net Malcolm Graham (D) District 40 LOB 620 919-733-5650 malcolm.graham@ncleg.net

Martha Alexander (D) District 106 LB 2208 919-733-5807 martha.alexander@ncleg.net Kelly Alexander Jr. (D) District 107 LB 632 919-733-5778 kelly.alexander@ncleg.net

Education Charlotte-Mecklenburg comprises the seventh-largest public school district in the country. In addition to public schools, state-funded charter schools (www.ncpublicschools.org/charterschools) and a host of private schools (www.independentschools.com/north_ carolina) also serve the county.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools 701 E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Charlotte, NC 28202 980-343-3000 www.cms.k12.nc.us Under the direction of Superintendent Peter C. Gorman, CMS serves more than 134,000 students in 172 schools. Some 160 countries are represented by students, and 140 native languages are spoken.

Colleges and Universities Art Institute of Charlotte 704-357-8020 www.artinstitutes.edu Central Piedmont Community College 704-330-2722 www.cpcc.edu Johnson & Wales University 980-598-1000 www.jwu.edu Johnson C. Smith University 704-378-1000 www.jcsu.edu Keller Graduate School of Management 704-362-2345 www.devry.edu Kings College 704-372-0266 www.kingscollegecharlotte.edu New Horizons Computer Learning 704-522-9747 www.newhorizons.com

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Black Chamber of Commerce 704-378-1364 www.cmbcc.org Latin American Chamber of Commerce of Charlotte 704-343-2525 www.lacccharlotte.com

Visitor’s Bureau Visit Charlotte 704-334-2282 www.charlottesgotalot.com

Business & Civic Organizations

Hispanic Contractors Association of the Carolinas 877-227-1680 www.hcacarolinas.org

American Business Women’s Association Charlotte Charter Chapter 704-953-6169 704-763-8157 www.abacharlottechapter.org Association for Sickle Cell Disease for Charlotte/Metrolina 704-332-4180 Black Women’s Caucus of Charlotte-Mecklenburg 704-336-7118

Carolinas Association of Black Women Entrepreneurs Inc. 704-333-1690

University of North Carolina at Charlotte 704-687-2000 www.uncc.edu

Charlotte Area Association of Black Journalists www.caabj.com

Charlotte Business Guild (LGBT community) 704-565-5075 www.charlottebusinessguild.org Charlotte Chamber 704-378-1300 www.charlottechamber.com

eWomen Network Charlotte, 704-650-5439 Lake Norman, 704-947-8476 www.ewomennetwork.com

Altrusa International of Charlotte 704-427-4410 www.altrusa.com

Queen’s University of Charlotte 704-337-2200 www.queens.edu

Carolinas Asian-American Chamber of Commerce www.caacc.com

The Diversity Forum 704-405-0607 www.thediversityforum.org

Filipino-American Community 704-366-4401 ninibautista@aol.com

Pfeiffer University-Charlotte 704-521-9116 www.pfeiffer.edu

Chambers of Commerce

Diversity Council of the Carolinas 704-338-1888 www.c-dcc.org

100 Black Men of Charlotte 704-375-7300 www.100blackmenofcharlotte.org

Business and Professional Women’s Club Metrolina Chapter 704-714-2219 www.mbpw.org

Nonprofits

Crossroads Charlotte 704-973-4567 www.crossroadscharlotte.org

Democratic Women of Mecklenburg County 704-525-5843 www.mecklenburgdemocrat.org Charlotte Association of Urban Bankers www.cncaub.org Charlotte International Cabinet 704-336-2174 www.charlotteinternational.org Chinese-American Association 704-322-3327 woodydiwu@yahoo.com

Hmong Community 704-545-8264 clvang@earthlink.net Indonesian American Association of the Carolinas 704-458-8532 robbyson_suy@yahoo.com India Association 704-545-3727 surjadar@yahoo.com Internal Revenue Service-Charlotte 704-548-4100 www.irs.gov Korean Association 704-591-4872 www.charlottekoreans.com Lao American Association 704-497-0490 Kkeonakhone@yahoo.com Latin American Coalition 704-531-3848 www.latinamericancoalition.org Latin American Women’s Association 704-552-1003 League of Women Voters of Charlotte-Mecklenburg 704-556-4600 www.goleaguego.org Lesbian & Gay Community Center of Charlotte 704-333-0144 www.gaycharlotte.com Metrolina Minority Contractors Association 704-332-5746 www.charlotteresourceguide.com

Millions More Movement-Charlotte 704-333-1690 www.mmmcharlottenc.org

F eature

MWBE (Minority and Women Business Enterprise) www.mwbe.com North Carolina Indian Economic Development Initiative Inc. 919-232-9414 www.ncindian.com N.C. SBA (Small Business Administration) 704-344-6563 www.sba.gov/localresources/ district/nc National Association of Negro Business & Professional Women’s Club-Charlotte 704-392-9547 Republican Women’s Club Charlotte-Mecklenburg 704-553-9392 National Hispanic Entrepreneurs Organization Inc. 704-909-7945 www.NHEO.org SCORE 704-344-6576 www.charlottescore.org Urban Financial Services Coalition 800-996-8335 Urban League-Central Carolinas 704-373-2256 www.urbanleaguecc.org The Urban Restoration 704-391-0022 www.urbanrestoration.org Vietnamese Association 803-526-2133 tuananhtran10@yahoo.com Women’s Inter-Cultural Exchange 704-365-4452 www.wi-ce.org Women’s Political Caucus-Charlotte 704-252-0967 www.charlottewpc.org

Community Services Children and Family Services Center 704-943-9400 www.childrenfamily.org

Community Link 704-943-9490 www.communitylink-nc.org

Charlotte Multicultural Resource Guide

Crisis Assistance Ministry 704-371-3000 www.crisisassistance.org Kicking for a Dream 980-939-1645 Mecklenburg County Department of Social Services 704-336-3150 www.charmeck.org United Way of Central Carolinas Inc. 211 (information and referral services) 704-372-7170 www.uwcentralcarolinas.org Urban Ministry Center 704-347-0278 www.urbanministrycenter.org YMCA of Greater Charlotte 704-716-6200 www.ymcacharlotte.org

Corporate Supplier Diversity Listings Balfour Beatty Construction Calvin Stevens Director of Community Relations and Diversity 704-319-4000 emergingcontractors@ balfourbeattyus.com www.balfourbeattyus.com Bank of America Jeff Jones 757-728-3711 jeff.jones@bankofamerica.com Belk Inc. 704-357-1000 www.belk.com Carolinas Healthcare System Donnie Moore 704-512-7772 Compass Group/FoodBuy Skyne Betha Supplier Diversity Manager 704-328-1129 sbetha@foodbuy.com www.cgnad.com Duke Energy Andrew Grier Manager Supplier Diversity 704-382-7690 abgrier@duke-energy.com www.duke-energy.com/suppliers/ default.asp Harris Teeter Ted Harrington Manager of Diversity 704-844-3565 tharrington@harristeeter.com www.harristeeter.com

Lance Inc. Cindy Evans 704-557-8349 704-557-8031 cevans@lance.com www.lancesnacks.com Lowe’s Home Improvement www.lowes.com/supplierdiversity Novant Health Care/ Presbyterian Hospital Kevin Price Manager 704-384-7456 kjprice@novanthealth.org Nucor Corp. Betsy Lieberman 704-366-7000 Piedmont Natural Gas Mike Morrow Manager of Supply Chain 704-731-4104 mike.morrow@piedmontng.com Time Warner Cable-Carolina Region Michelle Hankston Regional Buyer Analyst 704-731-1911 michelle.hankston@twcable.com www.timewarnercable.com Wal-Mart/Sam’s Club Theresa Barrera Vice President Supplier Diversity and Management 479-277-0650 genia.hight@wal-mart.com Wells Fargo Bank Sonya Dukes Senior Vice President of Corporate Supplier Diversity 704-383-7323 sonya.dukes@wellsfargo.com www.wellsfargo.com/supplierdiversity

Businesses Accountants/Bookkeepers Absolute Business Connections Inc. 704-537-0010 absolutebusinessconnections.com Boyd’s AccTax Consulting 704-322-3630 mlboyd@carolina.rr.com Chan Pauline, CPA 704-540-0027 Chun, Ki-Hyun, Ph.D.LLD, CPA 704-332-5656 Elizabeth Leonard, CPA 704-655-2648

Lee, Jung Sook, CPA 704-364-3667 Patrick A. Beach, CPA, PC 704-688-3075 www.beachfinancialsvcs.com Regina H. Rudolph, CPA 704-944-5547 www.reginarudolph.com Robinson Tax Services 704-658-8248 Stacey E. Tucker, CPA, PC 704-847-0021 www.staceytuckercpa.com Zee, Sylvester L., CPA 704-467-1965

Acupuncture Hu Jiang, L. Ac English-Chinese-Korean 3065-A Senna Drive Matthews, NC 28105 Lauren Leung, L. Ac 5200 Park Road, Suite 227 Charlotte, NC 28209 704-605-2602 Jeffrey Wang and Mary Ren, L. Ac English-Chinese 7810 Ballantyne Commons Parkway Suite 300 Charlotte, NC

Advertising/ Promotional Products Ad Concepts Inc. 704-366-1616 www.goadconcepts.com Alliance Document Solutions Inc. www.adocument.net Bantra Corp. 704-372-3400 Bonnie B. Thyer Specialties Co. 704-331-0645 sales@bonniebpromomall.com Carolina Corporate Wear Inc. 704-540-4613 www.carolinacorporatewear.com Charlotte Hotel TV 704-806-5692 www.charlottehoteltv.com www.fitcitytv.com FES Inc. 704-398-0436 www.fleminges.com The Logo Loft Inc. 360-394-5638 www.thelogoloftinc.com

Lyerly Agency 704-525-3937 www.lyerlyagency.com

James Ferguson 704-375-8461 www.fergusonstein.com

Orbimedia Communications/ Radio Lider 704-665-9337 julian@orbimedia.com

Li, Benjamin M. 704-527-0878

Digital Divas 201-304-2933 digitaldivasinc@gmail.com www.digitaldivasevents.com Zuri Creative Services 5960 Fairview Rd. Suite 400 Charlotte, NC 28210 info@zuri-creative.com 704-496-2695 www.zuri-creative.com

Architects A.L.R. Architecture 704-348-2699 Gantt Huberman Architects 704-334-6436 www.gantthuberman.com Happy Box Architecture PLLC 704-334-8724 www.happyboxarchitecture.com Metro Landmarks Architecture PC 704-333-2011 www.metrolandmarks.com Millennium 3 Design Group PLLC 704-333-1965 www.m3dg.com Mistri Hardaway Architects Inc. 704-371-4622 www.mistrihardaway.com Neighboring Concepts PLLC 704-374-0916 www.neighboringconcepts.com Studio 1 Architects PC www.studio1arc.com

Attorneys Chang, Kristen Aekyung 336-855-5700

Kim, Douglas H. 704-504-0962 Paul Suhr 919-876-4707 T. Michael Todd PLLC 704-343-9700 tmtedellaw@aol.com Tamela T. Wallace PA 704-371-4212 www.tamelatwallace.com Tin Nguyen 704-461-1527

Automotive Benâ€™s Automotive Center 704-333-1200 Parrish Tire Co. 704-583-5883 www.parrishtire.com Victory Lane Automotive Mobile Services 704-493-3340

Blinds/Window Treatments Croteau Window Coverings 704-367-9905 www.croteauwindowcoverings.com

Boxes/Packaging Supplies Ferguson Box 704-579-3952 www.fergusonbox.com wtruesdel@fergusonbox.com

Business Consultants

Business Link Technologies 704-248-8068 www.businesslinktech.com The Coman Co. 704-366-9060 www.comancompany.com

Chun, Lisa 919-619-1280

DBS Consulting LLC abonner@dbsconsultingllc.com www.dbsconsultingllc.com

Denise L. Presley, Esq. 704-676-4622

GoldenCrest Executive Consulting LLC www.goldencrestexecutive.com

Eric Montgomery 704-909-2765 Gary Henderson 704-599-4577 www.ghendersonlawoffice.com

Harris Krueger Consulting Inc. 704-896-5678 www.harriskruegerconsulting.com Kreative Group Inc. 980-253-4339 www.kreativegroupinc.com

www.charlotteresourceguide.com

Lil Associates II Inc. 704-372-3331 www.lilassociates.com

F eature

Lockman-Brooks Marketing Services LLC 704-944-3188 www.lockmanbrooks.com POSTNET 704-541-0490 www.postnet.com/nc135 **Project Managers Inc. 704-332-6611 www,projectmgrs.com Red F Marketing LLC 704-227-0700 www.redf.com Supplier Diversity Works! 12000 Wych Lane Charlotte, NC 28273 info@yourbusinessworks.com 704-583-0278 www.supplierdiversityworks.com * Visioncor 704-366-7979 www.visioncor.com

Caterers/Bakers Cake and Craft Creations 704-577-4400 info@cakeandcraft.com Caribbean Hut 704-593-0030 www.caribbean-hut.com Charleston House Catering 704-333-4441 www.herbin.com/charlestonhouse.html Creative Catering 704-373-2900 www.creativecateringinc.net Dave & Fran Catering 704-299-7696 FDY Inc. 704-523-6605 www.fdyinc.com Heaven Sent Catering 704-535-0567 www.heavensentcatering.net Just 4 U Personal Chefs 704-619-6870 www.jus4upersonalchefs.com Nona’s Sweets 704-717-6144 www.nonassweets.com

Charlotte Multicultural Resource Guide

Sadie’s Soulful Southern Experience 704-532-5570

Cleaners Birkdale Cleaners 16600 Birkdale Commons Parkway Huntersville, NC 28078 704-987-2232

Clothing/Apparel DW Clothing Design 704-332-1896 www.dwdesigns.biz The First Lady Apparel 704-302-6429 704-394-4121 www.thefirstladyapparel.com The Knott Shoppe 704-819-0839 Sew Up by Sung 704-900-6579 Gone Ape 8518 Castle Pine Ct. Charlotte, NC 28226 info@thegreatgoneape.com www.thegreatgoneape.com

Coffeehouse Diversity Den Coffeehouse 704-792-2233 www.diversityden.com

Compliance/Safety Compliance Centre Inc. 704-557-9027 803-531-1300 www.compliancecentre.net

Computers/Printers

Actionthree Computer Services LLC 704-537-1312 www.actionthreecomputers.com Applied Data Technologies 704-847-3000 www.applieddatatech.com Carolina Cartridge & Supplies Inc. 704-347-2447 www.ccs-ink.com

CPI Training Solutions Inc. 704-358-3383 www.solutionsrus.com Esource Systems and Integration Inc. 704-895-3520 www.esandi.com Fizza Group LLC 336-499-2616 www.fizzagroup.com Frontline Consulting Services 704-510-1998 www.fcs-inc.com Global Networkers 704-343-0094 www.globalnetworkers.com Kinetic IT Systems Inc. 704-340-7660 www.kineticits.com Network Cabling Systems Inc. 704-523-8606 www.networkcablingsystems.com Newton IT Services 704-561-7099 www.newtonits.com Webfuzion.com 704-607-7127 www.webfuzion.com

Construction

8 Star Construction Inc. 980-297-7266 A Anthony Corp. 704-358-4747 www.aanthonycorp.com Akhter Builders Inc. 704-847-5976 Alvacor Inc. 704-544-8211 www.alvacor.com American Eastern Builders Inc. 704-342-1968 www.americaneastern.net Aztek General Contractor Inc. 704-770-5389

Carolina Computer Partners 704-549-0125 704-409-7977 www.ccpteam.com

Baucom Group & Associates LLC 704-926-1509 www.baucomgrp.com

Carolina IT Consulting Inc. 704-577-0687 www.citconline.com

Bolton’s Custom Contracting Inc. 704-399-5010 C&J Supply Inc. 704-399-4722

CG Technology 704-887-3986 www.cgtechnology.com

Camps Construction Co. 704-321-1492 www.campsconstruction.com

Carolina Cajun Concrete Inc. 704-545-8626 Chartia Construction Co., Inc. 704-509-5542 Chief Cornerstone Builders Inc. www.chiefcornerstonebuilders.com Conmat Construction Inc. 704-713-3685 awutep@yahoo.com Conmat Development Inc. 704-594-9631

Marand Builders Inc. 704-544-8211 www.marandbuilders.com Raydal Construction LLC 704-900-2952 www.raydalconstruction.com R.J. Leeper Construction Co., Inc. 704-334-3223 www.rjleeperco.com Structural Creations Inc. 704-728-6543

D.E. Walker Construction Co. 704-597-8911

Stuart Page Co. Inc. 704-545-0695 www.stuartpagecompany.com

DOT Construction Inc. 704-634-3790 www.dotconstructioninc.com

Tyler Construction 704-527-3031 www.tyler2construction.com

Econ International Corp. 704-688-3709 www.econconstruction.net

Walter B. Davis Co. 704-358-3793 www.wbdavisco.com

Fernandez Construction Corp. 704-394-7173 G.W. Liles Construction Co., Inc. 704-786-3450 www.lilesconstruction.com Hemar Concrete Inc. 704-932-5581 **Heartland Contracting 704-882-3004 Highland Construction Group 980-322-7584 Horus Construction Services 877-898-6879 www.horus-cs.com Jamar Properties Inc. 704-796-1437 www.jamarhouses.com Kirkman Construction Inc. 704-987-2050 Latta Light Construction 704-728-2597

Copier Supplies & Services **Carolina Cartridge & Supplies Inc. 704-347-2447 www.ccs-ink.com

**Carolina Copier Services 704-375-9099 www.carolinacopyservices.com

Counselors

Angel Gabriel Co. 704-281-8416 www.angelgabriel.org Michael E. Hall, Ph.D. 704-858-2984 Trinity Counseling Services LLC 704-921-9600 trinityme3@hotmail.com

Day Cares

Dixon Academy 704-391-9875 www.dixonacademy.com Franâ€™s Kids Daycare 704-376-2655

Lee Morgan Inc. 704-348-1460 www.leemorganinc.com

Kids Town Child Enhancement 704-527-0423

Legacy Construction Inc. 704-968-1918

Mrs. Chris Play & Learn 704-393-1472

Lil Associates II Inc. 704-372-3331 www.lilassociates.com

Nanaâ€™s Place Learning Center 704-568-3899

Linda Construction Co., Inc. 704-333-7120 www.lindaconstruction.com Mansel Contractors LLC 704-547-9006

Step by Step 704-568-1214 stepbystephomedaycare@yahoo.com Toddletown Kidz 704-567-1797 mbrown@toddletownkidz.com www.toddletownkidz.com

Decorating/Visual Art/ Plantscapes Charlotte Plantscapes Inc. 704 529-1399 www.charlotteplantscapes.com Corporate Visual Artworks 704-904-4795 www.corporatevisualartworks.com

Dentists

Dasling Dentistry 704-594-9250 www.daslingdentistry.com Dr. Derek C. Barnes, DMD 704-849-6700 www.drderekbarnes.com Felecia Burridge, DDS 704-536-0811 Carmel Commons Dental & Imaging 704-540-2443 www.carmelcommonsdental.net Centro Dental Comunitario 704-494-7990 Dr. Xin Chen English-Chinese 8170-C S. Tryon St. Charlotte, NC 28273 704-405-5690 Friendly Neighborhood Dental Center 800-766-7472 Steven Ghim, DDS 704-541-8600 Regina Henderson 704-503-0202 www.charlottecosmeticdentist.com Luoug-Huy Le, DDS English-Vietnamese 2614-A E. Seventh St. Dr. U. Phillip Igbinadolor & Associates PA 704-494-8484 Orthodontic Care of Carolina PA 704-509-4999 www.drcooperortho.com Smile Family Dentistry 704-549-1199 www.smile4ucharlotte.com Dr. Michael Stout 704-332-7737 www.michaelstoutdentistry.com Dr. Minh Oai Vo 704-364-6666 Webber Dentistry 704-332-5848 or 704-392-9357 www.webberdentistry.com www.charlotteresourceguide.com

Young & Polite Children’s Dentistry PLLC 704-587-7336 www.youngandpolite.com

F eature

Education Brisbane Academy 704-598-5208 www.brisbaneacademy.org Kennedy Academic Learning Center 704-547-1151 www.kennedyacademic.com Christian Montessori School at Lake Norman 704-875-1801 www.christianmontessorischool.org Charlotte Chinese Art School 980-939-9408 cltchineseartschool@yahoo.com Chinese Language Tutor 980-939-9408 Great Wall School of Education 704-728-2679 www.charlottechineseschool.org Japanese Language School 704-333-8099 Timothy School 704-591-4872

Electricians

Alternate Power Services Inc. 980-235-9045

A&W Electric Inc. 704-333-4986 www.aandwelectric.com Carolinas Electrical Supply & Service LLC 704-562-0923 COED Electrical Inc. 704-395-3622 www.coedelectrical.com DEW Electric LLC 704-335-0891 www.dewelectricllc.com E. Moore & Son Electric Inc. 704-358-8828 www.emooreelectric.com Elm Engineering Inc. 704-335-0396 www.elmengr.com International Electrical Solutions Inc. 704-777-5626 intlelectricalsolutionsinc.building. officelive.com

Charlotte Multicultural Resource Guide

Engineers

Capstone Civil Group PA 704-567-0769 sbrown@capstonecivilgroup.com www.capstonecivilgroup.com Engineering Design Collaborative 704-971-1660 H&H Engineering PLLC 704-897-8328 www.hhengineering.net MA Engineering Consultants Inc. 704-896-5250 www.maec.com Zapata Inc. 704-358-8240 www.zapatainc.com

Ethnic Festivals

St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Charlotte Goes Green Festival South Tryon Street/March www.charlottestpatsday.com The Carolinas Latin Dance Company 704-872-4988 Spirit Square McGlohon Theatre/April thecarolinaslatindancecompany.org Dances of India 704-330-6534 Central Piedmont Community College April Charlotte Dragonboat/ Asian Festival 704-540-6808 Ramsey Creek Park, Cornelius/May www.charlottedragonboat.com Pride Charlotte (LGBT community) 704-333-0144 www.pridecharlotte.com North Carolina Music Factory, Fourth Ward October

Grocery Stores

A&A International Food 704-531-1151 Ann Doa Sakura Oriental Market 704-525-9840 Asia Oriental Grocery 704-375-2264 Asian Grocery 704-540-4201 Bharat Bazaar 3509 David Cox Rd. Charlotte, NC 28269 704-494-4845 www.bharatbazaarcharlotte.com Central Oriental Market 704-532-9888 Cilnecerea 704-569-0132

Compare Foods E. Independence Blvd: 704-532-5892 N. Tryon St: 704-596-3495 E. Arrowood Rd: 704-716-1170 www.comparesupermarkets.com Eang-Hong Grocery & Fresh Seafood 704-566-1272 International Super Market 704-509-1799 Jin’s Market 704-341-1112 LaBella Estrella 704-569-1899 La Bonita Mexican Grocery Store 704-527-8564 Los DOS Hermanos II 704-921-6424 Lotte Grocery 704-527-8949 Lucky Oriental Grocery 704-568-8666 New Asian Market 704-393-5831 New Century 704-921-1716 Ole Mexican Foods 704-587-1763 Overseas Oriental Food 704-522-9111 Payal Indian Grocery 704-521-9680 Rajbhog Sweets and Snacks 704-909-7783 www.rajbhog.com The South African Food Shop 704-849-2660 Toll-free: 888-532-1433 www.southafricanfoodshop.com

Events/Party Planning Creative Catering 704-373-2900 Events & Celebrations Inc. 980-939-1645 704-246-7619 www.eventscelebrations.com It’s My Affair 704-394-4928 www.itsmyaffair.com Main Event 704-332-5819 www.themaineventnc.com

Millennia Solutions 704-395-4706 Occasions Catering and Event Planning 704-333-1060 www.occasionscater.com Tribble Creative Group 704-376-1943 www.tribblecreativegroup.com

Exterior Building Maintenance/Windows Bright & Shine Services Inc. 704-650-6773 www.brightandshineservices.com Joffie Contracting Services Inc. 704-392-4442 www.joffie.com

Film/Video Production Emulsion Arts Robin Grey 704.343.0220 www.emulsionarts.com

Financial Services Carter Insurance 704-542-7500

Emma Allen Enterprises 704-892-0214 www.emmasallen.com First Legacy Community Bank 704-375-5781 www.firstlegacyfcu.org

Shabaka Body of Your Dreams Studio 704-449-1476 www.bodyofyourdreamsstudio.com

Food Service Management FDY Inc. 704-523-6605 www.fdyinc.com

Formal Wear

The Formal Touch 704-593-1961 www.theformaltouchonline.com

Garage Doors/ Overhead Doors

All American Overhead Door LLC 704-597-1002 www.allamericanohd.com

Gifts

A Fruit Basket & The Southern Blossom 704-375-7706 www.southernblossom.com Lamb Baskets and Invitations 704-497-3470

Graphic Designers Kineta Corp. 704-752-7994 www.kinetacorp.com

Moonlight Creative Group Inc. 704-358-3777 www.moonlightcreative.com

Mechanics & Farmers 704-247-3400 www.mfbonline.com

SPARK Publications 700 Matthews Mint Hill Rd. Suite B Matthews, NC 28105 704-844-6080 www.SPARKpublications.com

Rose & Associates Southeast Inc. 704-896-0094 www.roseassociates.com

The Maxim Agency LLC 704-339-0099 www.themaximagency.com

US Financial Alliance Consultants LLC 704-496-2764 www.usfacllc.com Wealth Builders Inc. 704-890-2522 877-279-9922 www.wealthbuildersnc.com

Fitness/Wellness

Hairstylists/Salons

A Total Experience Salon & Spa 704-377-0383 Hair Infiniti Wellness Salon 704-596-2166 www.hairinfiniti.net Lockstar Natural Hair Salon 704-334-6624 www.lockstarsalon.com

Fit4Life 704-491-2216 www.tiffanysfit4life.com

Salon Untouchable 704-921-0161 (barbers) 704-921-0182 (stylists)

Nâ€™shape with â€™N 704-334-4848 www.nshapewithn.com

Studio East Styling Salon 704-569-4553

Pure Wellness Medical Spa 980-297-7873 www.purewellnessspas.com

The Relaxer Experts 4820 Monroe Rd. Charlotte, NC 28205 704-535-6978 www.relaxerexperts.com

Health Care/Medical

Advantage Vision Center 704-375-3935 www.advantagevisioncenter.net Americare Health 704-941-2080 Arboretum Obstetrics & Gynecology 704-341-1103 and 704-841-7225 www.arboretumobgyn.com Carolinas Eye Center 704-510-3100 www.carolinaseyecenter.com Centers for Advanced Medicine and Clinical Research/ Dr. Rashid Buttar Advanced Concepts In Medicine 704-895-9355 Center for Integrative Medicine and Wellness 704-264-1402 www.medicineandwellness.com Crown Clinic PA 704-527-5522 www.crownclinicpa.com JP Chiropractic & Posture 704-841-1701 Sheena Kapadia Internal Medicine 704-342-8115 National Kidney Foundation 877-858-3808 www.kidney.org Jeongpil Park, DC Chiropractor 704-841-1701 Prime Care Medical Center 704-335-0806 www.primemedical.org Starks Pediatrics 704-717-2826 www.starkspediatrics.com Nang T. Ta, MD Central Care Clinic 704-567-8218 Nguyen Ta, MD Pediatrics 704-554-8880 Sharon Tam, DC 704-377-0800 Jenny Thao Ngo, CNM Obstetrics Gynecology 704-536-7233 Do Thuan My Optometrist 704-777-9047

www.charlotteresourceguide.com

F eature

Heating and Air Conditioning AT’s Heating & A/C 704-568-3147

DMD Consulting LLC 704-728-3996 www.dmdhr.com

Champion Heating & Cooling Inc. 704-391-2077

Jennifer P. Davis & Associates LLC 704-864-5211 www.jpdavisonline.com

Controlled Climate Technology Inc. 704-535-9192 www.controlledclimatetechnology.com

K&P Consulting Inc. 704-341-4340 www.kandPconsult.com

McKenney’s Mechanical/ Superior Mechanical Systems 704-335-1942 www.superiormsinc.com Superior Mechanical Systems Inc. 704-335-1942 www.superiormsinc.com

Home Care/Nursing

Advantage Rehabilitation Services 704-953-5072 HomeCare for the Carolinas LLC 704-335-8488 www.homecareforthecarolinas.com Home Health Enterprise Inc. 704-529-2682 www.homehealthenterprisesinc.com Unlimited Possibilities Family Care Homes 704-453-6753 www.upfamilycarehome.com

Hotels

SREE Hotels 704-364-6008 www.sree.com

Human Resources/ Executive Search

AccruePartners Inc. 704-632-9955 www.accruepartners.com Allegiance Staffing 704-556-1770 www.allegiancestaffing.com Baker Human Resources Consulting Inc. 704-395-2813 www.bhrc-partner.com

Image Consultants

Harris & Barnes Image Consulting 704-540-0989 www.harris-barnes.com

Information Packaging and Design/Marketing Cook Information Packaging & Design Inc. 704-376-6324 www.cookinfopkg.com

Interior Design/Upfitting BeauxHome 704-752-1733 www.beauxhome.com Tyler 2 Construction Inc. 704-527-3031 www.tyler2construction.com

Information Technology The Anstad Group 704-208-8304 www.anstad.com **Fortress Systems International 704-405-5000 www.fsiinc.com Webneed 704-470-4058 www.webneed.com Yorel 704-594-9870 www.yorel.com

Clean-Rite Janitorial 704-907-2073 Frick & Frack Cleaning Services 704-619-5471 H&M Cleaning and Maintenance Service Inc. 704-563-0135 Jani-King/Richard Jr. Enterprise 704-780-5558 www.janiking.com The Johnson Group 704-522-3544 www.aejohnsongroup.com La Biep Services 704-641-8892 Miriam Davis Cleaning 704-201-6111 Pelzer Group Construction Clean-Up and Trash Out 704-712-7899 P.O Box 5214 Charlotte, NC 28269 Peak Cleaning Services Inc. 704-421-1469 R and D Cleaning Services / Maid Services 704-605-4346 rdcleaningservice@yahoo.com R&R All American Cleaning Contractors 704-503-3882 Success Xpress Cleaning Service 704-840-4792

Landscaping/Fences Accurate Cut Lawncare 704-574-1147 Affordable Fence & Tree 704-392-7078

A&D Janitorial 704-320-2582

American Fence & Supply Co. 704-523-4936 www.americanfenceandsupply.com

AC Cleaning 704-605-7899

Braun Land Management Inc. 704-332-3462

Burnett Resources Inc. 888-273-4108 www.burnettresources.com

**Aerocare Inc. 704-970-7029 www.aerocarespecialist.com

Breburks Landscaping 704-493-5822

Career Match Solutions 866-225-2747 813-412-6560 www.careermatchsolutions.com

All Things Professional 704-345-3976 www.allthingsprofessional.net

Bergman Brothers Staffing & Consulting 704-537-1230 www.bergmanbrothers.com

CEO Inc. 704-372-4701 www.ceohr.com 48

Symphony Management Consulting 704-556-2288 www.symphony-consulting.com

Burgess Cleaning Service Inc. 704-890-4613

Charlotte Multicultural Resource Guide

Janitorial/Cleaning

Big Don’s Cleaning Services 704-491-3859

Carolina Cut-N-Edge LLC 704-315-8547 www.carolinacutnedge.com Carolina Green Landscape Co. 704-394-3152

Carolina Wetland Services Inc. 704-527-1177 www.cws-inc.net Fussell’s Turf Management LLC 704-708-8166 Green Touch Tree & Turf Inc. 704-549-4484 Green World Landscaping 704-699-7956 Greenprint Horticulture 704-567-8858 Groundworks Studio PLLC 704-375-2785 www.groundworksstudio.us Heritage Meadows LLC 704-780-0036 Lee’s Landscaping 704-493-0981 Leisure Time Lawn Care LLC 704-392-5299 Martin Landscaping Co., Inc. 704-379-0076 New Beginning Landscape LLC 704-400-4930 Perry’s Lawn & Landscaping Services 704-299-5483

Marketing/Advertising/PR Cohesion Marketing & PR 704-296-2174 www.cohesionmarketing.net Digital Divas 201-304-2933 www.digitaldivasevents.com IT Factor 310-910-1837 www.theitfactormedia.com HTD Network 704-249-3723 704-759-6483 www.htdnetwork.com The Lyerly Agency 704-525-3937 www.lyerly.com Pride Public Relations 704-375-9553 www.pridepr.net *Rojo Hispanic Marketing 704-227-0700 www.rojomarketing.com Talk of the Town Rhonda Mayo-704-488-3998 Tonya Inabinett- 704-649-5304 www.talkofthetownent.com

Millennia Solutions 704-395-4706 Zumbazo.com 704-650-7411 704-916-9862 (English only) www.zumbazo.com

Masons Leigh Concrete Services 704-628-6809 S&D Masonry & Construction LLC 704-496-4590

Massage

Celestial Soul Premier Massage 704-962-6400 www.celestialsoul.com Massage & Go 704-900-5173 www.massagegonoda.com Oasis Day Spa 704-333-8777 www.oasischarlotte.com Pure Body Salon and Spa 704-393-1019 www.purebodysalon.com Why Knot Massage 704-529-2400 www.whyknot-massage.com

Media/Magazine/Newspaper The Asian Herald 704-334-3450

The Charlotte Post Publishing Co., Inc. 704-376-0496 www.thecharlottepost.com CJ Ramirez 704-895-3315 www.cjramirez.com La Noticia 704-568-6966 www.lanoticia.com Lake Norman Woman 704-895-6168 www.lakenormanwoman.com Latino Communications 704-319-5044 www.quepasamedia.com The Korean Christian Times 770-986-8220 The Latin Focus 704-909-7945 www.thelatinfocus.com

Pride Communications/ Pride Magazine 704-375-9553 www.pridemagazine.net Today’s Charlotte Woman 704-521-6872 www.todayscharlottewoman.com Viva Carolina! 704-909-7945 www.vivacarolina.com World Journal 770-451-4509 Working Charlotte 704-992-1211 www.workingcharlotte.com

Medical

Mi Gente 704-531-6070 www.migenteweb.com

Prime Care Medical Center 704-335-0806 www.primecaremedical.org

Qcitymetro.com 704-442-1565 www.qcitymetro.com

Starks Pediatrics 704-717-2826 www.starkspediatrics.com www.charlotteresourceguide.com

Nang T. Ta, MD Central Care Clinic 704-567-8218

F eature

Nguyen Ta, MD Pediatrics 704-554-8880 Sharon Tam, DC 704-377-0800 Jenny Thao Ngo, CNM Obstetrics Gynecology 704-536-7233 Do Thuan My Optometrist 704-777-9047

Medical Supply Parish Dental & Medical Supply 704-649-2385

Mental Health

Painting/Wallpapering

An Eimaj Painting Co. 980-253-4013 www.aneimajpaintingco.com Bobby’s Painting Co., Inc. 704-394-5124 www.bobbyspaintingcompany.com Building Bethel Construction Co. 704-607-5540 C-III Paint Inc. 704-506-8164 Corporate Painting Inc. 704-521-6083 JP Group Construction Inc. 704-890-4748 www.thejgroup.com

Life Enhancements Services 704-342-9595 www.lifeenhancementservices.org

Scott’s Painting and Decorating 704-394-0711

Me’lange Health Solutions 704-567-8690 www.melangehs.com

United Painting Services Inc. 704-962-0563 www.unitedpaintingservices.com

Multimedia

All-Star Communications 704-579-9715 www.allstarscomm.com Norsan Multimedia 704-405-3172 norsanmultimedia.com Eastonsweb Multimedia 704-607-0941 www.eastonsweb.com Viva Carolina 704-909-7945 www.vivacarolina.com

Office Supplies & Services **Advanced Imaging Systems 800-332-6793 www.advancedimaging.net *American Product Distributors Inc. 704-522-9411 www.americanproduct.com Aaron Rents Inc. 704-509-6252 www.aaronrents.com ** Carolina Marking Devices 704-525-7600 www.caromark.com **Debriants Office Service Inc. 704-527-7600 www.debriants.com NYNCO LLC 704-577-2365 www.nyncoproduct.com 50

Professional Resource Group Inc. 704-771-9637 www.professionalresourcegroup.net

Charlotte Multicultural Resource Guide

Sappenfield Staffing Inc. 704-332-4710 www.sappenfieldstaffing.com Team Technology Inc. 704-849-0266 www.teamt.com Technology Project Management Inc. 704-347-2447 www.technologypm.com W2 Financial Staffing 704-665-8555 www.w2financial.com Working Charlotte 704-992-1211 www.workingcharlotte.com

Pharmacists

Carolina Compounding and Nutrition Pharmacy 704-540-4330 www.ccnprx.com Family Care Specialty Pharmacy 704-688-5330 Medicine & More 704-537-0191

Parking Management

Physical Therapy

Personnel/Staffing/ Head Hunter

Plumbers

E-Z Parking 704-376-5559 www.e-zparking.net

Bergman Brothers Staffing & Consulting 704-537-1230 www.bergmanbrothers.com Corestaff Services 704-554-1960 www.corestaff.com Elite Resources Inc. 704-504-2299 www.eliteresources.net Express Personnel Services 704-866-4136 (Gastonia) www.expresspersonnel.com Integra Staffing LLC 704-527-9191 www.integrastaffing.com Link Staffing Services 704-525-4555 www.linkstaffing.com Netview Inc. 704-837-7500 www.netviewstaffing.com Premier Resources 704-543-9200 www.premierresourcesnc.com Project Intern www.projectintern.com

Sports and Spine Physical Therapy 704-394-6677 Agua Source LLC 704-831-8311 www.aguasourcellc.com Burris Plumbing Inc. 704-510-2123 Heyworth Plumbing Co., Inc. 704-523-2696 www.heyworthplumbing.com New Millennium Plumbing LLC 704-309-9565 Reed’s Plumbing Co., Inc. 704-399-7785

Printer Accessories/Supplies Dat-A-Syst Inc. 704-523-3548 www.datasyst.net

Printers

Allegra Print & Imaging 704-708-5818 www.allegracharlotte.com Belk Printing Technologies 704-588-4433 www.belkprinting.com Copy Cat Instant Printing of Charlotte Inc. 704-529-6606 www.copycatsouth.com

Publishing/Editorial Services Final Edit 704-549-8886 www.finaledit.net SPARK Publications 704-844-6080 www.SPARKpublications.com

Radio Stations LaRaza (106.1) www.larazalaraza.com Radio One (My92.7 and Praise 100.9) 704-548-7800 www.my927charlotte.com WGIV (103.3 FM and 1370 AM) 704-553-1370 www.wgiv.net

Real Estate

Alford & Associates Inc. 704-890-9672 www.alfordappraisals.com Lake Realty of Charlotte 866-439-1025 www.mymooresvillehomes.com **The Benfield Group (Real estate appraisers) 704-333-0774 Binaco Real Estate 704-333-2462 www.binacoinvestments.com Blackberry Realty Associates 740-537-9091 www.blackberryrealty.com Headline Realty 704-547-1700 www.headlinerealty.com Hendrix Mitchener Properties LLC 704-552-9292 www.hmproperties.com Mountain Island Realty LLC 704-971-6021

Rayford Smith Realty LLC 704-494-4704 www.rayfordsmith.com Savvy + Co. Real Estate 704-330-8326 www.savvyandcompany.com Trade Street Realty 704-375-3082 www.tradestreetrealty.com Von Pettis Realty 704-536-9801 www.vonpettis.com

Refugee Services

Boat People SOS Inc. (Vietnamese) 704-567-2320 www.bpsos.org

Restaurants Asian

88 China Bistro 1620 E. Fourth St. 704-335-0288 Ben Thành Vietnamese Restaurant 4900 Central Ave. 704-566-1088 Chen’s Bistro 230 E. W.T. Harris Blvd. 704-510-9889 www.chensbistro.com

Tin Tin 10215 Park Road 704-341-2293

Indian

Copper Cuisine of India 311 East Blvd. 704-333-0063 www.copperrestaurant.com Jaipur Indian Restaurant 5909 South Blvd. 704-643-1421 www.jaipur-indian.com

Copper 704-333-0063 www.copperrestaurant.com

Maharani Indian Cuisine 901 S. Kings Drive 704-370-2455 www.maharaniindiancuisine.com

Cuisine Malaya 1411 Elizabeth Ave. 704-372-0766 www.cuisinemalaya.com

Namaste India 4508 E. Independence Blvd. 704-568-7979 www.namasteindia.cc

Dim Sum Chinese Restaurant 2920 Central Ave. 704-569-1128

Saffron Indian Restaurant 2135 Ayrsley Town Blvd. 980-297-7722

Dim Sum Chinese Restaurant 2920 Central Ave. 704-569-1128 DragonFly 5110 Park Road 704-527-3868 Fujo Uptown Bistro 301 S. College St. 704-954-9016 Golden Taipei 8511 Davis Lake Parkway 704-494-8688 www.goldentaipei.com HoHo China Bistro 2001 E. Seventh St. Charlotte, NC 28204 704-376-0807 House of Leng 704-510-5081 www.houseofleng.com Nikko Japanese Restaurant & Sushi Bar 1300-F South Blvd. 704-370-0100 www.nikkosushibar.net Soho Bistro 214 N. Tryon St. 704-333-5882 www.sohobistro2go.com Shun Lee Palace Inc. 4340 Colwick Road 704-366-2025 Taiyo Pacific and Sushi Bar 8205 University City Blvd. 704-509-9090

Latino

5 De Mayo 10009 Weddington Road Extension Concord, NC 28027 704-979-8709 Carnitas Guanajuato 1702 Walkup Ave. Monroe, NC 704-238-9726 LaTorre’s Latin Inspired Cuisine 704-377-4448 www.latorresrestaurant.com Salsarita’s Fresh Cantina 704-643-9500 www.salsaritas.com Monterrey 1001 E.W.T. Harris Blvd. Charlotte, NC 28213 704-593-0167 1007 W. Roosevelt Blvd. Monroe, NC 704-289-1320 9629 E. Independence Blvd. Matthews, NC 28105 704-841-8068

Mexican

Azteca Mexican Restaurant 116 E. Woodlawn Road 704-525-5110 www.aztecamex.com Cantina 1511 1511 East Blvd. 704-331-9222 www.cantina1511restaurant.com

www.charlotteresourceguide.com

Don Pedro Mexican Restaurant 5317 E. Independence Blvd. 704-535-4383

F eature

Fiesta Maya 3507 David Cox Road 704-509-9402 www.fiestmayagrill.com La Casa de Las Enchiladas 2917 Central Ave. 704-536-1851

Southern/Soul Food Coffee Cup 704-909-7096 www.coffeecupsoul.com Chicken Box 3726 N. Tryon St. 704-332-2636 Grandma’s Country Kitchen 6615 N. Tryon St. 704-598-1221 La’wan’s Soul Food Restaurant 7705 S. Tryon St. 704-665-7225 Mert’s Heart & Soul 214 N. College St. 704-342-4222 www.mertsuptown.com Sadie’s Soul Food 5708 N. Sharon Amity Rd. 704-532-5570 www.sadiesoul.com Simmons Soul Food 704-334-6640 www.simmonsoulfoodrestaurant.com

Thai

Thai House, University 704-717-8006 Thai Orchid 704-364-1134 Thai Taste East Boulevard 704-332-0001

Other Los Paisas (Colombian) 8318 Pineville-Matthews Road. 704-542-5477 Meskerem (Ethiopian) 601 S. Kings Drive 704-335-1197

Retail

Gone Ape 8518 Castle Pine Ct. Charlotte, NC 28226 info@thegreatgoneape.com www.thegreatgoneape.com

Shipping/Packaging

**Ferguson Supply & Box Co. 800-821-1023 www.fergusonbox.com

Shredding/Recycling Mar’s Recycling & Shredding Inc. 704-549-8409 www.marsrecyclingandshredding.com

Small Business Resources Nu Level Solutions 704-756-4888 www.nulevelsolutions.com

Smart Solutions 704-807-4184 www.yourlifeeventslegalplan.com

Spa

Modern Salon & Spa 704-339-0909 www.modernsalonandspa.com My Day Spa (nails and tanning) 5818 Prosperity Church Road Charlotte, NC 704-875-7744

Speech Therapy Speechworks Therapy Services Inc. 704-973-0149 speechworkstx@aol.com

Sports and Entertainment Charlotte Bobcats 704-688-8600 www.bobcats.com

Stamps/Marking Devices Carolina Marking Devices Inc. 704-525-7600 www.caromark.com

Telecommunications Omega Communications 704-665-9545 www.omega-comm.com Webneed Inc. 704-492-0354 www.webneed.com

Translators/ Language Services

Head First Millinery 704-562-9985

Avantgarde Translations Inc. 704-496-2736 www.avantgardetranslations.com

Hola Baby 704-737-1622 www.holababyshop.com

Into Spanish Ltd. 800-351-4686 www.intospanishltd.net

Charlotte Multicultural Resource Guide

Transportation/Delivery

Chambers Express Trucking Inc. 704-292-2916 D.W. Rowland Hauling 704-263-2806 Glaze Independent Trucking 704-345-5984 Load ’Em Down Trucking 704-492-0633 **Mile Marker Logistics Inc. 704-393-3630 www.milemarkerlogistics.com R. Broome Jr. Trucking 980-721-2393 RC Hauling Inc. 704-786-1067 RLD Trucking 704-264-9821 Solano’s Trucking 704-557-5558 Thore Enterprises Inc. 704-875-9407 Whitley & Son Trucking Inc. 704-573-3848 www.whitleyandsons.com

Urban Planning/ Commercial Development Ryan Harris LLC 704-644-7726 www.ryan-harris.com

The Littlejohn Group LLC 704-377-2262 www.thelittlejohngroup.com

Web Design

Cohesion Marketing & PR 704-296-2174 www.cohesionmarketing.net Eastonsweb Multimedia 704-607-0941 HTD Network 704-749-6483 www.htdnetwork.com IZHE Web Design 980-875-0093 izhedesign.com Zuri Creative Services 704-496-2695

Wildlife Management Goose Busters! The Border Collie Patrol Inc. 704-365-2497 www.gogeese.com CMRG

Unique perspectives. Common goals. Supplier diversity isn’t just about the services you bring to our company. It’s about exploring new ideas, working together to develop innovative solutions and creating value for our business – and for yours. Visit us at www.duke-energy.com.

www.charlotteresourceguide.com

Sección en Español

Fusión cultural F

“

usión cultural” es precisamente lo que tuvo lugar el 15 de enero en el Westin Charlotte. Una espectacular celebración de la diversidad se llevó a cavo durante la 18a. entrega anual de los premios Lowe’s Pride. Este evento, lleno de mucha energía, iluminó, entretuvo y educó a aproximadamente unos 700 invitados sobre la diversidad cultural, a la vez que reconoció los logros de tres líderes sobresalientes en nuestra comunidad que han trabajado mucho para crear capital social en nuestra ciudad. Cidney Holliday, estudiante del último año de secundaria en South Mecklenburg High School, recibió el Premio “Campeón Diversidad al Orgullo Juvenil”. Clasificada como estudiante en el 10 por ciento más alto de su clase, es fundadora de una organización de servicios diseñados para promover la hermandad y unidad entre las niñas de todos los grupos étnicos (P.E.A.R.L.S) y desempeña un papel estratégico en los clubes “Alcance Hispano” y “Alianza Homosexual/ Heterosexual” de su escuela. Cidney recibió $ 15,000 en concepto de beca escolar. Denise Howard, fundadora y co-presidente del Comité de Medicina sin Sangre en el Carolinas Medical Center y destinataria del Premio “Campeón Diversidad al Orgullo Comunitario”, fue galardonada por su servicio a muchas poblaciones diversas en nuestra región. Eric Watson, de Alimentos Delhaize America recibió el Premio “Campeón de Diversidad Corporativa” por su liderazgo y pasión por la diversidad y la inclusión de ésta dentro de la corporación, así como en toda la comunidad. Ademas de los reconocimientos entregados, el Centro de Mujeres para el Intercambio Intercultural WIE (Women’s Inter-cultural Exchange) y la Fundación del Condado de Mecklenburg, compitieron por la donación de $10.000 procedentes de los Pride Awards y sus patrocinadores. Cada uno presentó un video de dos minutos y en vivo para la audiencia. ¿El resultado? ¡Ambas organizaciones sobresalientes recibieron $10.000 cada una! Mientras los invitados disfrutaban de una por Dee Dixon

Charlotte Multicultural Resource Guide

deliciosa cena, algunos datos interesantes de la ciudad fueron presentados en una sección llamada “¿Sabia usted que?. Me permito, entonces, compartir algunas de éstos con ustedes: • Profundizando en la diversidad de Charlotte, el censo del 2000 listó a 10,718 residentes que reportaron pertenecer a dos o más razas. Fuente: Buró del Censo • 92,000 Charloteanos hablan otra lengua –aparte del inglés- en sus casas Fuente: Buró del Censo • El estado de Carolina del Norte ha experimentado el más significativo crecimiento de población asiática. Durante los últimos cinco años se han incrementado en más del 30%. Fuente: Cámara de Comercio Asiática de las Carolinas • Alrededor de un tercio de la población de Charlotte es Afroamericana Fuente: Buró del Censo • El 11% de la población de Charlotte es de origen Hispano o Latino Fuente: Buró del Censo • En tan solo cinco años, 26,500 nuevos residentes se mudaron a Charlotte, procedentes de otros países. Fuente: Buró del Censo • Existen 52,000 Asiático americanos en el área de Charlotte. Fuente: Cámara de Comercio Asiática de las Carolinas Fue una gran noche de la diversidad en Charlotte que será recordada por mucho tiempo. Si no asistieron, se perdieron de una gran noche. Por ahora, acompáñenme en agradecer a AT&T por patrocinar esta edición especial de la Guía de Recursos Multiculturales de Charlotte. Cynthia Marshall, Venessa Harrison, Todd Lanham y todo su equipo realizaron una revista informativa y educativa que ha llegado a generar buenos frutos. Su creencia en hacer de la diversidad una forma de vida se evidencia en la medida en que continúan conectando a las personas de todos los ámbitos en este mundo cambiante. ¡Por favor, léanos y disfrute!

R eportaje E special

El sabor del éxito Una compañía distribuidora de alimentos, con sede en Charlotte, mantiene los bares de Sushi bien proveídos por Brittany Norton

n 1989, Philip Maung llegó a Estados Unidos con la esperanza de que sería capaz de crear un nombre para si mismo. Un poco menos de 10 años después, Maung hizo justo lo que había decidido: Abrir Hissho Sushi en Charlotte. Su compañía de servicio y distribución ahora maneja y opera más de 400 sushi bars a lo largo y ancho de Estados Unidos y en el 2009, Maung recibió el reconocimiento Ernst & Young , de la división sureste, como Empresario del Año. De hecho Hissho (nombre de su empresa) es la palabra japonesa para definir “éxito”. “Yo vengo de un lugar donde hay mucha tradición con la comida y el sushi era muy popular cuando vivía en Los Angeles, asi es que decidí traer un poco de esto al área de Charlotte”, dice Maung, CEO y fundador de Hissho Sushi. Su franquicia de negocios cosiste en más de 400 locaciones alrededor del mundo. El reto más grande que enfrentó Maung fue obtener el dinero para financiar su negocio. Cuando los bancos no respondieron a su propuesta, Maung recurrió a la única fuente que él sabía que siempre estaría ahí: su familia. Una característica de Hissho Sushi , que lo diferencia de otros negocios similares, es la determinación de Maung de asegurarse que su cultura está siempre presente en todo lo que Hissho hace. “Queremos que nuestros empleados sean una familia”, dice. Por ejemplo, Maung estableció 11 valores principales para asegurar una conexión más profunda no solo entre sí, sino también con los clientes. Según Maung, “Es nuestra gente la que nos diferencian del resto. Nosotros trabajamos duro día a día, y mantenemos un espíritu de equipo positivo”. Uno de los valores fundamentales se refiere a la actitud de servicio y de devolver a la comunidad. Durante el día de Acción de Gracias del año pasado, los empleados de Hissho Sushi en Charlotte, trabajaron como voluntarios en el programa Misión de Rescate de Charlotte. Durante

Philip Maung

2011, a Maung le gustaría abrir su cocina para las personas necesitadas durante las fiestas. “Tratamos de ser buenos ciudadanos y devolver parte de lo que recibimos. Como Hisshonians, nos encanta animar a otros. Queremos que la gente venga a nosotros cuando están mal”, dice Maung. En cuanto a otros planes, Phillip Maung está en el proceso de establecer otras 30 locaciones más en los Estados Unidos y tiene como meta alcanzar 1.000 restaurantes en todo el país. “También podría haber una posibilidad de ir internacionales. Es una question de tiempo”, dice Maung. CMRG www.charlotteresourceguide.com

R eportaje

Casa abierta Steele Creek Church: una de las más diversas congregaciones por Angela Lindsay fotos cortesia de Steele Creek Church of Charlotte

Seguidores de Steele Creek son Africanos, Arabes, Asiaticos, Europeos-Americanos, Haitianos y Latinos.

Steele Creek Church of Charlotte consiste de un “ministerio multicultural y muti-etnico.”

oy en día, a pesar de todos los avances logrados con respecto a las relaciones raciales, las iglesias son uno de los últimos segmentos de nuestra sociedad en contar con una diversificación verdadera. Sin embargo, varias iglesias en Charlotte han trascendido esta frontera, aparentemente definitiva en la integración, y sus congregaciones se han convertido en un reflejo de nuestra sociedad. La congregación de la Iglesia Steele Creek de Charlotte, es una de ellas. Según un informe de septiembre 2010, del Urban Cristian News, nueve de cada 10 congregaciones todavía tiene un grupo racial único que representa más del 80 por ciento de sus miembros. Sin embargo, según la Biblia, dice Ted White, el pastor de comunión en la Iglesia Steele Creek de Charlotte, “(Jesucristo) fue intencional para llegar a la gente de diversas perspectivas étnicas, geográficas, clase y religión. . . Uno de los beneficios de tener una congregación diversa es que uno puede aprender cómo servir mejor y 56

Charlotte Multicultural Resource Guide

recibir servicios ministeriales para las personas que son diferentes. . . Según las escrituras, cada tribu, cada lengua y cada nación estará representada en el cielo, por lo tanto, ¿no deberían ser nuestras iglesias las que tengan la misión de reflejar el cielo aquí en la tierra? En segundo lugar, encontramos en Juan 17 que Jesús ora para que todos seamos uno, así como Él y el Padre son uno. Unidad entre todas las personas, no la uniformidad, sino unidad”. Esta es la premisa sobre la cual SCCC fue fundada en 1985. SCCC se describe como “un ministerio multicultural y multiétnico, unidos por su fe en Jesucristo”. Se afirma que cerca de 50 naciones están representadas a través de sus miembros y misionarios. White dice que la iglesia fue intencional para llegar inicialmente a los afroamericanos y los blancos en las comunidades de West Boulevard/Jackson Park. “Con el tiempo, el liderazgo de la Iglesia Steele Creek fue muy intencional en la ampliación de su enfoque de servir a todas las naciones del mundo a través de alcanzar a los líderes de varias

comunidades étnicas”, explica. Aunque la iglesia no tiene un cálculo oficial de su demografía, White estima que se compone de 50 por ciento de estadounidenses blancos y 25 por ciento de afroamericanos. El otro 25 por ciento incluye a los latinos, africanos, árabes, asiáticos, europeos-estadounidenses y haitianos. White cree que uno de los factores que contribuyen al creciente número de congregaciones religiosas diversas es que algunas familias quieren compartir su experiencia espiritual con una comunidad de creyentes más diversa. Reclutamiento de los líderes, la resolución de conflictos “La diversidad ya se refleja más seguido en barrios, escuelas y lugares de trabajo. Si no, una experiencia semanal en una iglesia diversa puede servir como una conexión para las personas que viven, día a día, la experiencia cultural homogénea”; sugiere White. Algunas maneras en las que SCCC se esfuerza por mantener su congregación tan diversa son la contratación y desarrollo de liderazgo diverso, elevando el valor único de cada grupo cultural, y la “tenacidad”; buscar la conciliación de los conflictos causados por las barreras culturales y falta de comunicación. La iglesia también ofrece cuatro servicios en inglés, uno en español, uno en portugués, uno en francés-criollo, una en árabe, un servicio de África y un servicio mesiánico.

“Para que las iglesias sean más integradas, que se requiere que la gente ‘compre’ la idea, el compromiso y la práctica del liderazgo de la iglesia para llegar y valorar la diversidad dentro de sus congregaciones”, dice White. “Además, la integración es a veces temida debido a que en muchos casos el resultado no es integración, sino que de hecho, podría dar lugar a la asimilación. Una familia que busca a abrazar, conocer y apreciar otra cultura, puede terminar perdiendo su cultura propia, debido a una devaluación de su cultura por la falta de representación en el liderazgo de una iglesia, el estilo de adoración, visuales, etc.” White reconoce que como iglesia en busca de ser más diversa, puede perder parte de su identidad, pero que “tendrá que hacer ajustes a fin de proporcionar un puente para invitar a las diversas comunidades a que se sientan bienvenidos y convertirse en parte de la comunidad de los creyentes”. Él dice que al hacerlos se brinda la oportunidad de desarrollar relaciones más profundas con personas de otras culturas. “Cuanto más nos relacionamos e intencionalmente buscamos diversas experiencias con personas que son diferentes, los prejuicios sin información pueden ser reemplazados con interesantes oportunidades para aprender a amar y para desarrollar relaciones genuinas y profundizar con las personas y familias que son diferentes”, afirma White. CMRG

www.charlotteresourceguide.com

R eportaje

Haciéndolo posible Organizando extranjeros y motivando a los futuros emprendedores hispanos por Edward Henderson fotos por Tye Feimster

“

l sueño americano” ha llamado a millones de inmigrantes con la esperanza de crear una vida mejor en Estados Unidos. Al igual que otros inmigrantes, muchos hispanos traen consigo un fuerte espíritu empresarial. La Organización Nacional de Hispanos Emprendedores (NHEO) le apuesta a ese espíritu y alienta a los hispanos a “hacerlo posible”. El hombre con una visión NHEO es la creación de Juan Pablo Giometti. Su misión es fomentar el espíritu empresarial y la innovación social entre los hispanos a través de mentores, redes y comunicación. En la actualidad, Juan Pablo Giometti NHEO tiene 3.000 voluntarios en todo el país. La idea de la organización y su lema, “Make It Happen” (hazlo posible), nació mientras Giometti estaba trabajando en su MBA en la UNC Chapel Hill. Al ser preguntado sobre cómo se le ocurrió el lema, Giometti explica que “Como empresarios nos gusta la acción, no sólo palabras. Mucha gente tiene miedo. En nuestra cultura el fracaso es aceptado, pero hay que aprender de ese fracaso. Somos como la Nike de los empresarios hispanos: (Nosotros) just do it”, tan solo lo hacemos”. Identificando y resolviendo los casos Una manera en que NHEO comprende su misión es creando conciencia sobre los asuntos críticos que enfrentan los hispanos y el desarrollo estrategias para el cambio. Giometti cita estos asuntos como la falta de acceso al capital, la falta de conocimiento sobre las oportunidades y la falta de modelos a seguir. “Una gran cantidad de padres de niños hispanos no son hombres 58

Charlotte Multicultural Resource Guide

“Como empresarios nos gusta la acción, no sólo palabras.” — Juan Pablo Giometti

de negocios. Así que al abrir una revista como Enterpreneur y voltear las páginas, no ve muchas personas que se vean como nosotros”, dice Giometti. “La razón por la cual pongo mi foto en nuestro folleto no es para ser famoso. Si somos capaces de mostrar a una persona que se parece a esto, podemos dejar saber a los niños hispanos que también ellos pueden hacerlo”. NHEO celebra conferencias en todo el país que ofrecen oportunidades de networking (conexiones de redes) para que los jóvenes empresarios conozcan a algunos de los 300 mentores en su base de datos. Colaboración es la clave NEHO también reconoce la importancia de asociarse con otros para aprovechar los recursos que necesitan los empresarios exitosos. Muchas de esas asociaciones incluyen las organizaciones Afroamericanas. La Alianza para la Igualdad Digital (Alliance for Digital Equality), en la Universidad Johnson C. Smith y los gemelos Johnson (que poseen No Grease Barber Shop) son dos de los socios. “Empezamos con lo que sabemos, que son los hispanos. Si alguien más está haciendo lo mismo con los afroamericanos, podemos trabajar juntos”, dice Giometti. “En el espíritu empresarial, la clave es la colaboración”. En abril pasado, una ceremonia de inauguración marcó la apertura del Instituto NHEO en el Centro de Ben Craig en el norte de Charlotte. El instituto es la sede nacional de la organización. Desde entonces, un capítulo de NHEO se ha creado en San Francisco, y la organización tiene previsto abrir un capítulo estudiantil en la Florida International University, en Miami. CMRG Para obtener más información acerca de la NHEO, visita el sitio www.nheo.org

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Resource Guide