We recently connected with Preston Sain and have shared our conversation below.

Preston , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What was it like going from idea to execution? Can you share some of the backstory and some of the major steps or milestones?

Year 2020 will forever be a historic year Nationally. From the covid pandemic to quarantine, to the racial unrest of the tragedies of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor etc made the perfect crisis yet opportunity.

For the first time in many of our adult lives we had time to reflect,and most importantly learn History of our country and ancestors that we may not have known.

In the year 2020 The story of Black Wallstreet Greenwood Tulsa ( the Wealthiest Black Community in American History) rose to the forefront in our country from its development, wealth to its untimely Massacre and demise.

For Grand Rapids Michigan hometown of Co Founder & President of Black Wallstreet Grand Rapids Preston Sain it became the focal point of the next Monumental economic movement of West Michigan.

Grand Rapids Michigan ( 2nd Largest city in Michigan) has its own unique crisis. The city was labeled by a nationally renowned publication (Forbes) as the 2nd Worst City Economically for Blacks in the USA in 2015.

Sain always Remembered that data was a Black eye on the city’s reputation and by 2020 still had not be rectified.

In 2020 a Grand Rapids resident residing in Georgia by the name of Jelly Hicks started a Facebook group titled Black Wallstreet 2020 June 1st 2020. On Day 1 one of Sain’s High School Football Teammate Dalshawn Tyler (now a BWSGR
Co Founder) added Sain to the group.

By Juneteenth 2020 the group grew to a impressive 3,000 members mostly Entrepreneurs or aspiring business leaders & consumers.

The synergy in the group was amazing and Sain knew, a vision and leadership had to be implemented to bring this energy tangible in real life.

One day in the Group a Black Female Developer by the name Mary Malone stated that she owned property on the beloved Eastern & Burton District which sits about 90% vacant. She stated she was looking for partnership and ideas to name the district.

Sain was the 1st to reply with the name Black Wallstreet. The feedback in the group was phenomenal. Sain went on to add 7 additional districts in Southeast Third Ward urban core of Grand Rapids Michigan as a alternative to gentrification.

Sain selected a group of about 10 Third Ward born Entrepreneurs to be Co Founders of BWSGR alongside himself and Mary.

Sain got his then 16 year old son Cameron Sain ( a photographer) to ride with him and take photos of each targeted district. Sain created the social media platforms for BWSGR and posted his sons photos. From there the local news broke the story on the vision, featuring Sain and fellow Co Founders and the BWSGR story was born.

The group Curated several community events, peace walks, small Black business Holidays to encourage patrons to show up and support, & more.

The BWSGR story took the news media by storm on a city, state, and national level with extreme support, in addition to momentum & support from Grassroots community of all races and walks, GR’s Mayor and City and County Commissioners.

In January 2021 Sain & team BWSGR announced a 100MILLION dollar Capital Campaign for the investment and development of their targeted districts, targeting 100 corporate companies to Pledge 1M each over the next 16 years.

The 100M is in tribute to the 100+ year Anniversary of Greenwood Tulsa. The 16 year investment period is compatible & tribute to the 16 year development of Greenwood Tulsa in the early 1900s.

Sain then campaigned for over a year & a half for a 501c3 Fiduciary Partner taking meetings on behalf of the entity with Top West Michigan nonprofit candidates.

After a competitive & lengthy search, June 1st 2022 on the 101 Year Anniversary of Black Wallstreet Greenwood Tulsa, Sain selected & contracted AQUME Foundation as the official Fiduciary partner of BWSGR.

In August of 2022 Sain Joined by City Hall Officials performed the GroundBreaking on the BWSGR Headquarters on its Flagship District Eastern Burton Village.

Currently the BWSGR capital campaign is live, District Rendering designs are forthcoming and investment and development is on the way to Eastern & Burton Village District

BWSGR received its 1st Sponsorship pledge in history late August 2022 from ChoiceOne Bank.

Preston , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Being a complete leader and team player is essential.

As Co-Founder & President of Black Wallstreet GR, my role is to push the vision, mobilize the grassroot and corporate business community to directly unite & invest on a collective effort of economic Prosperity for the most underserved communities that has been left behind.

My background consist of sports as a former athlete for well over a decade mainly football.

My professional Background is diverse from Nonprofit Leadership, Manufacturing, Junk Removal industry, Youth Sports coaching & sponsorship, Entertainment & Promotions & most recently the Construction Industry.

In addition to leading the Black Wallstreet Grand Rapids Development,
the brands i lead and or partner with are Grand City Sports Inc, Junk King Grand Rapids, Founder of City of Champions Awards,City of Champions Celebrity Boxing League, & now Black Lake Companies/ Black Lake Construction.

Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?

One of the Co Founders of BWSGR name is Tahj Gillespie from a legendary Entrepreneur Family in Grand Rapids Michigan and owners of Gillespie Funeral home also located on Eastern Burton BWSGR Flagship District.

Tahj is Grand Rapids Third Ward born Entrepreneur nearly 10 years older than Sain and is one Sain watched from afar over 10 years ago consistently teach about Black Wallstreet & Idlewild ( The former Largest Black resort in USA)

Tahj took Sain to visit Idlewild Michigan for his 1st time in 2020.
Sain always admired Tahj ‘s Historian ways and Visionary ambition.

Sain knew as a fellow Visionary with a relentlessly work ethic, selecting Tahj as one of the 1st Co Founders was mandatory and the 2 would be perfect to launch the movement.
The 2 connected officially in 2020 and begin the groundwork of BWSGR.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

OW Gurley was the Founder of the original Black Wallstreet in Greenwood Tulsa. Gurley’s wife name was Emma. My wife Tiarra James- Sain mother name is Emma.

Booker T Washington the historic figure who coined Greenwood” Negro Wallstreet ” aka Black Wallstreet passed on November 14th 1915. I was born on November 14th mid 80’s

The nostalgia of my Life with the History of Black Wallstreet being divinely tied was not to be overlooked.

The body of work and authentic background I have in community spanning nearly 2 decades solidified me as a qualified leader for BWSGR.

I have been fortunate to be a Award winning, news headliner Servant Leader well before BWSGR

The relationships and social capital I’ve always had in the Urban core in addition to longtime high level corporate relationships and with city officials also helped secure my profile and credibility in the market.

I also come from a immediate family ( brothers and parents) who are active in the community and successful professionally that adds to me as well.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://youtu.be/wHNAIG6e8JY
• Instagram: @blackwallstreetgrandrapids
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BlackwallstreetGrandRapids/
• Linkedin: LinkedIn /Preston L Sain
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/BWSGrandRapids?t=Jq2dR7AvBfri7Qr5eqFJCQ&s=09
• Youtube: https://youtu.be/wHNAIG6e8JY

Image Credits
Photo Credits: 1.Bryan Esler 2. Cameron Sain Cannon Visuals