MARCH / APRIL 2026 ISSUE PREVIEW
CURRENT EVENTS
Your vote is under threat: What the SAVE America Act could mean for millions of Americans
Noncitizen voting has been a federal crime since 1996, carrying serious penalties including fines, imprisonment, and deportation. According to Vote.org, the SAVE Act would add a new layer of documentation requirements on top of a verification system that is already in place and working.
BUSINESS & CAREER
A key fundamental truth about business
by Keith Washington
Unfortunately, too many business owners allow the bright lights of their most optimistic dreams of their businesses to blind them to the vividly clear realities that are right before us. Too often significant efforts and resources are misdirected to hobbies that are “misidentified” as businesses.
TECHNOLOGY
How to use AI without losing the human touch: A practical guide for small business owners and creators
by John Lawson
How we end the year often mirrors how we have been conditioned to measure our worth, our risk, and our success. That hidden pattern is what I call financial trauma, the unspoken emotional history that shapes how we relate to money, opportunity, and even ourselves.
HOME & FAMILY
A parent's guide to navigating picky eating with confidence
With the right strategies, parents can reduce stress, build healthier habits, and help children become more confident, curious eaters
BUSINESS & CAREER
The Catalyst Program: A Cohort graduates and looks ahead
The Catalyst Program is structured around the belief that access to capital alone isn’t enough: entrepreneurs need tools, mentorship, and community to build businesses that last.
sponsored by
BUSINESS & CAREER
Compassionate forward leadership: Cultivating belonging to unlock neurodiverse talent
by Malayna S. Hasmanis, MPA, M.Ed., Doctoral Candidate
Compassionate forward leaders intentionally design environments where difference is welcomed, psychological safety is the baseline, and systems are adapted so everyone can contribute their best work.
EDUCATION
Progress is not permanent: An educator's witness across generations
by Dr. Leslye Renee Kornegay
Living my dream life, I was suddenly pushed onto an unfamiliar path. After more than 30 years as a funeral service professional and patient advocate, guiding families through end-of-life choices, communicating with healthcare teams, and planning meaningful services, I became the person who needed guidance.
EMPOWERING YOUR LIFE
by Patricia Waters
Becoming "Her" through movement: From healing alone to leading others
Confidence doesn’t come before action. It comes after repetition. After teaching anyway. After speaking clearly even when your voice shakes slightly inside.
BUSINESS & CAREER
Spring into networking
by Chi Chi Okezie
As we enter into the second quarter of 2026, it is a perfect time to refresh, reset, and re-establish networking goals which may have fallen in the beginning of the new year, assess what is working and what needs work, along with refining strategies and staying motivated along the journey.
EDUCATION
The courage to reload: A purpose-driven life in 2026
by Daryl D. Green and Tristan Jones
Will this be another year of broken resolutions — or the year you finally align your goals with your purpose?
Feature Spotlights
HEALTH & WELLNESS
KELLY WHITE
Community Health & Wellness Collective Services
Founder & Executive Director
Arden, NC
“People need to receive information from someone who looks like them, who understands their lived experience. I want to live a long, healthy life — and help others who look like me do the same.”
HEALTH & WELLNESS
SHANIQUA SIMUEL
Change Your Palate
Founder & Owner
Shiloh Community Association
Neighborhood Navigator
"My goal is to help an individual, a family, a community, an organization, a system, a nation, to pause and rethink health overall, not just what is on your plate."
HEALTH & WELLNESS
WANDE OKUNOREN-MEADOWS
Hand, Heart + Soul Project
Co-creator & Executive Director
Jonesboro, GA
"This work allows me to honor people as whole humans and to create spaces that nurture voice, dignity, and development from the very beginning. What started as passion has become purpose."
BUSINESS & CAREER
BLACK BUSINESS ALLIANCE of the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce
Ava Smith
Chairperson
Black Business Alliance
Board Member & Vice Chair
Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce
"We hope to create opportunities for growth and relationship building and offer inclusive programming that provides access to essential resources while ensuring that Black-owned businesses have the support systems and voice to thrive in Asheville and Buncombe County."
BUSINESS & CAREER
The Block Collaborative: Booting the Block Project
Margaret A. Brunson & Brittany Bennett Weston
Community Facilitator Team
Boosting the Block Project
"Inspired by the rich history of The Block, this series is part of the Boosting the Block initiative that seeks to connect Asheville’s historic Black business district to Pack Square."
