How This Construction Company Owner Is Laying the Foundation for Generational Black Wealth
Ebony Flake, Essence
When Mel Gravely was deciding where to headquarter his business, his vision to impact the Black community led him down an unconventional, but brilliant path.
The Cincinnati civic leader and CEO of TriVersity Construction—one of the region’s largest privately held companies, bypassed the city’s thriving central business district to move into a historically African-American neighborhood called Walnut Hills.
“We bought a building that was dilapidated. It hadn’t been used since 1973. It’s on a two-block long, one-way street—not the ideal location. My executive team thought we were absolutely crazy, but we put our headquarters there because we wanted to make an investment in that community,” Gravely told ESSENCE.
Gravely’s decision to locate his business in the neighborhood is consistent with his overall business methodology centered on philanthropy, supporting local economies, and bridging the wealth gap for communities of color.