Habitat for Neighborhood Business
May 2021 Newsletter
The May 2021 issue of the Habitat for Neighborhood Business newsletter features two HNB entrepreneurs, Annette Smoote, owner of Children are Unique Academy, LLC, and Kia Hollis, owner of Mykial Rose, LLC and Markeith Cuts and Styles. Read about their products and services. Our HNB mentor of the Month is Verlean Nicks, owner of Step by Step Preschool. Verlean mentors HNB entrepreneur Annette Smoote, owner of Children are Unique Academy, LLC and has mentored other business owners for more than 40 years. HNB Board member Rich Weinstock, a retired Boeing executive and HNB Board member, shares his role as Mentor Executive for the HNB Board. Our final article is on SLU's Service Leadership program undergraduate business students and their work with HNB entrepreneurs during the pandemic. HNB continues to support minority entrepreneurs to impact underserved communities in the city of St. Louis.

If you have an interest in supporting Habitat for Neighborhood Business, as a
mentor, industry consultant, or donor, contact Gladys Smith, Ph.D., Program
Director, at 314-341-0868.
HNB Entrepreneurs of the Month
Annette Smoote - Children Are Unique Academy LLC
Annette Smoote has been in the Early Care Education field for over 25 years. She is one of the co-founders of Children Are Unique Academy. Annette has worked with all age groups from 6 weeks to 12 years old, both in daycare and preschools. She says, "Working with children is one of my most rewarding experiences."

Open Sunday-Saturday from 6 AM – 9 PM, Children Are Unique Academy offers all-day care for children who are 6 weeks old to preschool-aged. The academy has one building for infants and toddlers, and a larger building for preschoolers. They also offer before and after-school care for elementary and middle school children (ages 6-12) in their larger building. They consult with families to create a program that makes sense for the parents and their busy schedules. See their website for more information.
Kia Hollis - Owner of Mykial Rose LLC & Markeith Cuts and Styles
Kia “KJ” Hollis is a 34-year-old entrepreneur. Her business Mykial Rose LLC, pronounced Michael Rose, was founded in 2013. It started as a business with lingerie and all things for the night. In 2016 the company rebranded and focused on candles and body care products. All candles are scented and made from premium soy wax. The storefront at 4140 Dr. Martin L King Dr, 63113 in the Ville Plaza has all your candle needs and is located three doors down from her salon Markeith Cuts and Styles, 4134 MLK. Services offered at Mykial Rose are create-a-scent, candling with a twist, and retail candle sales. For more information call Kia at 314-240-8959.
HNB Mentor of the Month
Verlean Nicks - Owner of Step by Step Preschool
Verlean Nicks owns and operates Step By Step Preschool at 5261 Delmar Blvd. She has been in the Early Childcare business for nearly 45 years and loves it. During these years she has tried to help many others who wanted to start a childcare business by sharing information on how to get the process started.

When she was contacted by Ms. Smith at Habitat for Neighborhood Business to help an up-and-coming childcare center, she was delighted. Helping to mentor HNB entrepreneur Annette Smoote at Children are Unique Academy has been a rewarding experience for both Annette and Verlean. They have been in constant contact since the mentoring relationship began, even during the pandemic. Annette has been very receptive and they have made some great strides. For Verlean, it has certainly been a pleasure getting to know Annette and to support her goals. Congratulations to HNB Mentor of the Month Mrs. Verlean Nicks!
HNB Board Member of Month
Rich Weinstock - HNB Board Member
Rich Weinstock, (retired) Boeing executive for over 38 years, joined the HNB organization over 10 years ago. As Mentor Executive on the HNB Board, his primary duties are mentoring and helping to connect other mentors with business owners. He enjoys getting to know and working with business owners to help them identify and implement solutions to their business challenges. Rich stated, "It has been very gratifying to be part of HNB’s success – when I started we were working with a handful of businesses located on Martin Luther King Blvd to now supporting over 40 entrepreneurs that provide a wide range of products and services throughout the city."

Rich was attracted by HNB’s mission to help entrepreneurs achieve their dreams of owning and operating their own businesses. Important to him was HNB’s approach of teaching key skills, providing advice and support while recognizing the business owner retains primary responsibility. He says, "This mission recognizes the independence and satisfaction business ownership can provide, and the associated benefits of improving neighborhoods/serving as role models. The business owner’s courage, determination, and hard work continue to impress us, encouraging our support efforts."
SLU's Service Leadership Program Covid Relief Workshop with HNB
The Service Leadership COVID Relief Grant Teams workshop, held on April 16, 2021, highlighted the impact the service leaders have had on the St. Louis community and the long-term relationships that have been formed between students and the minority entrepreneurs in the HNB program. Through this program, HNB entrepreneurs received support as they have faced extreme challenges due to the pandemic. At the workshop, Service Leadership welcomed Habitat for Neighborhood Business program director, Gladys Smith, to highlight the struggles small businesses have endured during the pandemic. Furthermore, two HNB entrepreneurs, Leslie Christian Wilson and Jana Gamble, outlined the challenges of the pandemic on their businesses, and a response to how the students helped was "the students represented a light through a dark time of uncertainty." The Service Leadership students' hope is to continue this program in the future and focus on positive impacts they can have on the community.
Donate to HNB Today Through Amazon
Amazon will donate 0.5% of your Amazon purchases to Habitat for Neighborhood Business when you buy your Amazon products through their website for donations smile.amazon.com. Consider Habitat for Neighborhood Business each time you buy a product through Amazon and let Amazon’s donation help minority entrepreneurs in the city of St.Louis. 
HNB Businesses - Products and Services Available
Small businesses have struggled due to the shut-downs of the COVID-19 pandemic. The HNB entrepreneurs are still operating their businesses and we encourage you to consider HNB entrepreneurs for your products and services. Listed below are HNB participating businesses and contact information. Check them out!

HNB is growing! We now have 45 entrepreneurs in the HNB program.


Diversity Gallery LLC Natural Hair Products Web Page
 
Joe-Jo's Fish and Chicken Carry Out Restaurant  Web Page
 
God First Religious Specialty Items  Web Page
 
Cardinal Home Health Care Services LLC  Facebook Page     
 
Samplings by Ms Deb LLC Carry Out Restaurant  Facebook Page
 
KDZ Demolition and Construction LLC  Web Page
  
SHR Builders LLC Construction 314-280-2092 
 
Bryan Young's Catering Kitchen Catering Web Page
 
Nurse Necessities LLC Nurse Scrubs Facebook Page
 
It's A Gamble Production Film producer, writer Facebook Page
 
Brooks Family Entertainment Bounce Houses Web Page
 
Institute of Personal & Professional Development LLC Individual and Family Counseling  Web Page
 
The Mary Ann Network TV Show Production  Facebook Page
 
The Royal Court Event Center Special Events Planner Facebook Page

KG Bookkeeping and Tax Preparations Services 314-210-7326

Gill Industries LLC Vehicle fuel additive Web Page

Create Community LLC Corporate and Event Training Web Page
 
Personal Touches by Jeanetta, Inc. Special Events Decorator Facebook Page

KJ Styles LLC Specialized Barber Shop 314-240-8959

Travel Angel Planner Travel Agency Web Page

Gregory's Healthy Alternatives LLC Colon Hydrotherapy Web Page

Personal Home Health Services Home Health Care 314-664-1100

EAS Financial Service Tax Services 314-553-9292

Children Are Unique Academy LLC Day Care Service Web Page

SILLYBLES Game for groups 314-402-1750

DJ Owe Disc Jockey 314-688-3627

J Murphy Construction Construction Consultant 314-207-9701

SoHeart LLC Addiction Recovery Service Web Page

Fleur De Lis Development Corporation Real Estate Development 314-249-5957

Healthful Beauty LifeSpa & Wellness Health and Wellness Boutique 314-439-6636

Jon Que Barbecue Grill Sales 314-443-6753

Blue Realty Real Estate Company 314-324-6272

Softest Touch Full-service Beauty Bar 314-484-9599

Eminence Financial Consulting Credit counseling 314-249-3985

Fancy Girl Event Planning Event Planning and Catering 314-437-3470

R&W Logistics & Escort Shipping and Escort Freight 314-267-2140

Clean Cycle Lounge LLC Laundry Services 314-600-8618

Mykiel Rose LLC Beauty Product Sales 314-240-8959

BeauTee Inside Out Retail Clothing & Decor 314-482-2361

Buddy's Auto and Tire Repair Auto Repairs 314-659-0587

Paton Redevelopment Series LLC Property Redevelopment 877-649-4770

SPOTS Enterprises LLC Property Redevelopment 314-550-2301

Counseling and Educational Center LLC Counseling Center
314-440-4448

Gourmet Soul LLC Soul food restaurant, catering, event venue 
314-339-5658

The Butler Group LLC Film production 314-479-2938

HNB Staff
Linda M. Jones
Executive Director
Gladys Smith, PhD
Program Director
Johnny Dolan
Graduate Assistant
Samantha Schmidt
Marketing Intern
HNB Board Members
Tom Bailey - Urban League of Metro St. Louis, VP Development

Steven Barron, Vice President - Phillip H. Barron Realty, President 

Doug Brown, Chairman - Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Waterway Wash, WingHaven, Retired Executive/Principal

David Copeland, Secretary/Treasurer - Rubin Brown LLC, Retired CFO

Terry Donohue, Chief Information Officer - Enterprise Rent-A-Car Retired Executive

Steven Frank - Plancorp, Vice Chairman
 
Brooks Goedecker - St. Louis Midtown Redevelopment Corporation, Executive Director

Robyn Heidger - Enterprise Bank & Trust, Senior Vice President, Strategic Alliances and Inclusion

Mark Higgins - Richard A. Chaifetz School of Business, Professor of Accounting

Christopher Pickett, Legal Counsel - Greensfelder, Hemker & Gale PC, Officer & Chief Diversity Officer

Thomas Stern, HNB-SLU Program Chair - Gershman Commercial Real Estate, Executive Board Chairman

Rick Sullivan - Strategic Advisors LLC, President

Lynette Sledge Watson - Missouri Small Business Development Center, Business Development Manager

Richard Weinstock, Mentor Executive - Boeing Company, Retired Executive
HNB Sponsors
The Pettus Foundation
Guy B. Jaffe and Judy Schwartz Jaffe Charitable Foundation of the St. Louis Community Foundation
Commerce Bank