© 2024 Iowa Public Radio
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Incubator for Black and brown entrepreneurs opening along Des Moines' 6th Avenue

Talk of Iowa, hosted by Charity Nebbe

Business developer is another credit to add to Marquas Ashworth's resume.

The hip-hop artist and whiskey distiller returns to Talk of Iowa to talk about Center at Sixth, a $10 million development that Ashworth and community leaders broke ground on this summer. It's anticipated to open in 2024.

The facility will provide live-and-work spaces as well as retail and restaurant options to help launch Black and brown entrepreneurs. This project has been two years in the making for Ashworth. He has already been assisting business owners like Nadia Ahissiou through his incubator program.

Later in the episode, host Charity Nebbe talks with Teresa Zilk about the next installment of her storytelling series "Stories to Tell My Daughter." Launched in 2018, these events are held around the state to highlight the lived experiences of African-American women, with an always-changing lineup of storytellers including newcomer Lya Williams.

Guests:

  • Marquas Ashworth, owner and operator, Center at Sixth
  • Nadia Ahissiou, owner, Nadia's French Bakery
  • Teresa Zilk, founder and producer, Stories to Tell My Daughter
  • Lya Williams, storyteller and Johnston resident
Charity Nebbe is the host of IPR's Talk of Iowa
Samantha McIntosh is a talk show producer at Iowa Public Radio. Prior to IPR, Samantha worked as a reporter for radio stations in southeast and west central Iowa under M&H Broadcasting, and before that she was a weekend music host for GO 96.3 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.