How the Oldest Black Owned Construction & Design Company Was Built | 230+ Years in Business
Black Real Estate Dialogue03/07/23 • 65 min
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Today, I interview Cheryl McKissack Daniel, President and CEO of McKissack, the nation's oldest minority/women-owned design and construction firm. The family business was incorporated in 1905, however the family’s history of architects and builders began with an enslaved Ashanti ancestor in 1790.
“We document the Black experience through our structures,” Cheryl says with pride. Her grandfather, Moses McKissack III and his brother Calvin were the first black licensed architects in the country. “It’s a sense of strength for me,” she says. “I haven’t had to deal with anything my ancestors had to deal with.”
Listen in as Cheryl tells us how her grandfathers and parents shaped Black history through their bravery and determination to see their business succeed. She discusses the biggest challenges she had to overcome once she took the reins of McKissack, and how she sees the future of the construction industry.
Highlights
1) 1 out of every 5 businesses fail in their first year, and the odds get even lower when it comes to passing a company from one generation to the next. Cheryl, a black woman and a fifth-generation business owner, proves that everybody has the ability to create their own destiny.
2) We can all play a part in getting projects like the Affirmation Tower to finally break ground. It all comes down to getting the word out, holding our leaders accountable, and creating a groundswell of support.
3) Getting into the construction industry doesn’t necessarily require getting a construction or architecture degree. From finance, to business development, to marketing, to PR, to insurance, to writing (ex. creating business proposals), there are many avenues to a career in this multifaceted industry.
How to find her
Instagram - @cheryl.mckissack
Website- https://mckissack.com/
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03/07/23 • 65 min
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