WE’RE BACK NOW AT 1150. SHERMAN PHOENIX IS CELEBRATING A MAJOR MILESTONE THIS MONTH. THE MARKETPLACE WAS BUILT. THEY BUILT A COMMUNITY FROM LITERAL ASHES IN THE SHERMAN PARK NEIGHBORHOOD, AND THEY ARE HOUSED IN THE BMO HARRIS BANK BUILDING THAT BURNED DOWN AFTER THE UNREST IN 2016. NOW THEY ARE A WELL KNOWN STAPLE IN THE CITY OF MILWAUKEE. JOINING US IN STUDIO IS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE SHERMAN PHENIX FOUNDATION, DR. SASHA THOMPSON. GOOD TO SEE YOU. ALWAYS GREAT TO TALK ABOUT THE GREAT THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING THERE. SHERMAN PHENIX JUST GAVE A LITTLE RUNDOWN, BUT FOR FOLKS WHO AREN’T FAMILIAR, BRING US UP TO SPEED ON WHAT’S HAPPENED OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS WITH WITH SHERMAN, PHENIX ABSOLUTELY. SO EVERYONE KNOWS THIS. A STORY FROM 2016 AND 2018, THE BUILDING OPENED THE MARKETPLACE WITH 27 BUSINESSES. SINCE THEN, WE’VE ACTUALLY BEEN HOME TO OVER 47 BUSINESSES. BLACK OWNED. WE’VE ACTUALLY SURPASSED NATIONAL STANDARDS OF THE ORIGINAL 27 THAT OPENED, OVER 80% ARE STILL IN BUSINESS AFTER FIVE YEARS. A NATIONAL STANDARDS IS ABOUT 20% OF BLACK BUSINESSES ARE STILL IN BUSINESS AFTER ONLY 18 MONTHS. SO SINCE THEN WE’VE HAD OUR GROW AND GO METHOD BE VERY SUCCESSFUL. YOU’VE SEEN THE SUCCESS OF FUNKY FRESH, OF LUSH OF CONFECTIONARY, YOURS, WHERE THEY’VE ACTUALLY GROWN OUTSIDE OUR BUILDING AND GROWN INTO THEIR OWN SPACES. AND WE CONTINUE TO WELCOME NEW BUSINESSES IN AND HELP THEM TO THRIVE. YEAH, I LOVE THAT MODEL. AND WE WERE JUST TALKING BEFORE COMING ON AIR HERE ABOUT THE SUCCESS OF SOME OF THOSE OTHER BUSINESSES. LUSH HAS THEIR OWN RIVER WEST LOCATION AND TRUMAN WITH FUNKY FRESH IS ALL OVER THE PLACE, SO IT’S GREAT THAT 150 GROCERY STORE. YEAH, THAT’S FANTASTIC THAT IT ALL STARTS RIGHT HERE IN MILWAUKEE. AND THAT INCUBATOR FOR LIKE A GERMAN PHOENIX. SO YOU GUYS ARE CELEBRATING FIVE YEARS. HOW WERE YOU CELEBRATING? YES. SO NEXT TUESDAY ON GIVING TUESDAY FROM 4 TO 8 P.M., WE’LL BE HAVING OUR FIVE YEAR ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION. SO THERE’S GOING TO BE LIVE MUSIC. SEAN HINTON IS GOING TO BE PERFORMING. WE HAVE DJ SHELL OFFERING UP MUSIC. WE’LL HAVE SOME GUESTS COMING AND READING SOME PROCLAMATIONS AS WELL AS WE’RE GOING TO HAVE SOME FREE FOOD AND PRIZES AND GIFTS. AND THAT’S FROM 4 TO 8 NEXT TUESDAY, THE TUESDAY AFTER THANKSGIVING, ALSO KNOWN AS GIVING TUESDAY. AND YOU GUYS ARE ACTUALLY COINCIDING THAT WITH A GIVING CAMPAIGN TO HELP YOU GUYS SUCCESS INTO THE FUTURE. ABSOLUTELY. SO YOU SEE ON MY SHIRT, WE HAVE A CAMPAIGN CALLED I GOT FIVE ON IT. SO IT’S THE FIVE YEAR ANNIVERSARY. SO WE’RE ASKING PEOPLE TO CONTRIBUTE AND INCREMENTS OF FIVE OR YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE BY CAN YOU CAN CAN YOU CONFIRM THAT YOU WOULD MAYBE SUPPORT FIVE BUSINESSES IN THE SHERMAN PHOENIX OR WOULD YOU COMMIT TO COMING TO FIVE EVENTS? YOU CAN ALSO TEXT TO GIVE. YOU CAN TEXT. GOT FIVE ON IT TO FOUR, FOUR, THREE, TWO, ONE AND GIVE A ONE TIME DONATION OF $5. OR YOU CAN MATCH MY COMMITMENT. I’M GIVING $500, BUT I’M GOING TO DO IT ON A MONTHLY DONATION THROUGH OUR GIVING GIVING PLATFORM. SO WHATEVER YOU’RE ABLE TO GIVE, WHETHER IT’S YOUR TIME OR YOUR TALENT OR YOUR TREASURE, WE ASK THAT YOU JUST COMMIT TO THAT. I GOT FIVE ON IT CAMPAIGN. YEAH, FANTASTIC. IF FOLKS ARE OUT THERE WATCHING AND THEY WANT TO HAVE A BUSINESS THAT’S FEATURED IN THE SHERMAN PHENIX OR, YOU KNOW, THEY’RE A BUDDING BUSINESS AND DON’T KNOW HOW TO TAKE THAT FIRST STEP. WHAT’S YOUR BEST ADVICE? ABSOLUTELY. SO WE HAVE A PLETHORA OF THINGS TO OFFER. WE CURRENTLY HAVE SOME SPACES THAT ARE AVAILABLE FOR FOR RENT AND LEASE. YOU CAN GO TO OUR WEBSITE AND FIND OUT ABOUT THOSE. ALSO, WE HAVE OUR PHENIX RISING SERVICES, IN WHICH WE OFFER WORKSHOPS AND PROGRAMS AND ACADEMIES AND ACCELERATORS TO LOCAL BUSINESSES. IF THEY’D LIKE TO SIGN UP TO LEARN ABOUT HOW TO MANAGE THEIR BUSINESS AND HOW TO MAKE THEIR BUSINESS PROFITABLE AND COME LEARN FROM THE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS AND GET COACHING FROM THOSE THAT WE HAVE WORKING WITHIN PHENIX RISING. VERY IMPORTANT. IT’S SO IMPORTANT WHAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING IN THE COMMUNITY AND ALWAYS LOVE TO HAVE YOU GUYS HERE TO TALK ABOUT THAT FOR EVERYONE TO SEE. SHERMAN PHENIX AGAIN IS CELEBRATING THEIR FIVE YEAR ANNIVERSARY NOVEMBER 28TH. THAT’S NEXT TUESDAY FROM 4:00 UNTIL 8:00 IN THE AFTERNOON. IT’S TAKING PLACE ON GIVING TUESDAY. AND AS YOU JUST HEARD, THERE’S GOING TO BE LIVE MUSIC, FOOD AND PRIZES. SO A GREAT WAY TO CELEBRATE WITH THE SHERMAN PHENIX ON FIVE YEARS OF SUCCESS IN THE COMMUNITY. CHEERS TO FIVE MORE AND MUCH, MUCH MORE THAN THAT. YES, PLEASE. YOU KNOW, COME SUPPORT. WE ALSO HAVE JUST KICKED OFF A $2 MILLION CAMPAIGN TO MOVE US PAST THE FIVE YEARS TO DO SOME BUILDING UPDATES AND TO MOVE US INTO FRUITION. SO WE JUST HOPE AND HOPE THAT