Ben Jealous, Lynee Vanee, Scotty Smart and Zak Wallace Address Black Economics Plan at Atlanta’s Gathering Spot

The Gathering Spot in Atlanta’s burgeoning center for innovation and free-thinking cottage industries recently hosted The Economic Freedom Talks, a Harris-Walz campaign initiative to address and resolve pressing issues facing Black entrepreneurs and small businesses.

The Economic Freedom Talks are designated to uplift small business owners and entrepreneurs across the nation, featuring a dynamic series of discussions that spotlighted former presidential candidate Kamala Haris’ plans for small businesses.

Nationally recognized advocates and experts for minority business development gathered to discuss issues hindering Black businesses  including:

• A ten-fold expansion of the tax deduction for new small businesses, offering a $50,000 deduction for startups.
• 25 million new small business applications by the end of 2025.
• Streamlined regulatory processes to remove barriers and empower entrepreneurs to start, scale, and thrive.

The panel of several of the most respected and dynamic supporters of Black economic justice comprised of; Ben Jealous, Executive Director of the Sierra Club and former president and CEO of the NAACP; Lynae Vanee, social media influencer and founder of the Good People Party, Scotty Smart, Atlanta community organizer and Zak Wallace, owner of Local Green Atlanta expressed strong support for the three pillars outlined in Vice President Harris’ economic development plan in a discussion moderated by political strategist Eleina Raines.

Ben Jealous on entrepreneurship …

“The best entrepreneurs I know are systematic thinkers. They can look at the way that the whole world works or how a neighborhood works. And said, if I put my business at the intersection of those two dynamics in that world or in that neighborhood, I will flourish.

Entrepreneurs have more in common with other entrepreneurs than anybody else. So I tell my students at Penn, where I teach a leadership [course], ‘because they can dream it and make it real.’ … The assumption of Silicon Valley is that money is free because it is with it. So you show up with the biggest idea that you have, and a team that can take it from here to there faster than any other team, and they will back to you.”

Scotty Smart Scotty Smart, Atlanta community organizer on small business activism and advocacy … 

I think that’s internal, as far as impact, purpose and what’s your mission in life. I got to activate this space about 10 years ago. I didn’t get started [getting paid] for this work until two years ago. So I did this for eight years for free, I was figuring out.

I started a clothing line, I was doing events, I was just trying to figure it out. I didn’t want to go back to selling cars … I wasn’t the guy in the store selling the right TV at Sma’s Club. …I figured out my passion was my purpose … I was willing to put everything the line for what I felt was right for me. …  At first, you think you don’t want to be the next Malcolm X or Martin Luther King. So it was a joke [that] I was talking about nonprofit, the Smart foundation

Lynee Vanee, social media influencer and founder of the Good People Party on the influence of social media …

“Tiktok has allowed us to be global citizens in a completely new and amplified way, whether they were tired of a two-party system and not looking like they were actually reflected, or their vote had any power in these elections.

“… So I wanted to create something that kept people engaged year-round. About school superintendent elections, your sheriff, county clerk, whomever, making sure that you were engaged and involved. … [When] you feel connected to the things. You feel like you have some power.

“I used to be a high school teacher, and I used to teach U.S. history, and we would always have to go over social contract theory. They would just baffle me. That job box theory is that we are supposed to give power to the government in return for protection of the people, but the government is not protecting us.”

Zak Wallace, owner of Local Green Atlanta on entrepreneurial accountability …

If you get a burning desire or a kind of moment about something that you’ve been misinformed on, and then you see that no one’s talking about it, then that’s kind of your assignment.  … Because you saw it, and you look around, there’s nobody to go talk to about it. So you can either build it and roll your sleeves up and build it right there if you if you deem this assignment fits for you.

Ben Jealous on the economic forecast … 

“The reality is that right now, the biggest business opportunity on planet Earth is that we will have to change the way the Earth is powered. People are transported for the entire planet over the next generation, and hopefully fast. [There’s] a whole set of opportunities is there’s a whole bunch of communities that look like Asheville or Tampa that will have to be rebuilt.”

The Harris-Walz Campaign has enlisted prominent national business advocates Dr. Lakeysha “Key” Hallmon of The Village Market and Ryan Wilson of The Gathering Spot to lead this initiative. Their goal is to build on the recent economic gains made by small businesses and offer a bold vision for continued support and growth.

“At The Gathering Spot, we’ve seen firsthand the power of connection and collaboration among entrepreneurs,” Wilson said. “As someone who’s dedicated to fostering innovation and growth, I fully trust that the Harris-Walz team will continue to expand access and opportunity for entrepreneurs across the country. Their track record shows that they understand the unique challenges that small business owners and the start-up community face, and their platform offers the kind of support that will allow businesses to scale and communities to thrive.”

“I’ve dedicated my life to empowering small business owners to transform their dreams into reality, and I’ve seen firsthand the work Vice President Harris has done to ensure the voices of our community are heard,” Hallmon shared. “The Harris-Walz ticket reflects this same commitment to entrepreneurs and our community. With their leadership, we will see a future where businesses aren’t just sustained—they are flourishing, building generational wealth and economic resilience.”