Yousef Alshammari - ��Ӱ��

Bagels, fraud and false identities: nationwide scam targets Adams Morgan

Yousef Alshammari — Fri, 13 Dec 2019 20:51:39 +0000

Pepe Montesinos immigrated from Oaxaca, Mexico, to Washington, D.C., in 1965, and 10 years later his American dream took root in Adams Morgan. For 40 years, his restaurant Mixtec was a neighborhood staple, serving traditional Mexican food as one of the District’s first taquerias.

In 2014, Mixtec died out due to rising rent. Epic Philly Steaks, Mixtec’s replacement, didn’t last long itself. The restaurant closed earlier this year. And now, the storefront at 1792 Columbia Rd. NW may see a franchise, NYC Bagel and Sandwich Shop — if it doesn’t fall victim to a scam first.

‘Unhappy franchisee’

Marketing veteran Sean Kelly spent 30 years in the industry with experience advertising on behalf of companies looking to franchise.

“There’s an overarching sense of ‘you always promote that franchises are good and you never criticize any franchise no matter how bad they are,’” he said. “I was always opposed to that.”

As a marketer, Kelly aims to show “people are legitimate competitors,” he said, but when he came across NYC Bagel franchises, he noticed a trend that he “just could not believe.”

They would open and then, months later, abruptly close. Soon thereafter, a lawsuit would be filed against the franchisors.��

He joined a “400 blog network” monitoring franchising abuse and started to investigate NYC Bagel.

With his experience guiding his intuition, the NYC Bagel franchise and its variations over time, all the while curating the evidence.��

He was alarmed by the history and behavior of those behind the scam. As his investigation grew, Kelly said he started receiving information from scammed people — and threats from NYC Bagel.

“It was open season and there’s no sheriff in town,” Kelly said of his findings.

His private investigation into the franchise has spanned well over seven years, with every peculiar detail leading him further down the rabbit hole.

When he started documenting the information online, Kelly said “more and more people started reaching out, and I didn’t know how widespread the scams were, how unethical the practices that were administered.”

The Process

Kelly said the systematic fraud started off simple enough. Franchisees were lured with a franchise disclosure document that promised fast and growing profits regardless of credit score — all for the price of a refundable fee to finalize the agreement.

“Qualified owner operators will need a minimum of $75,000 in available capital for each $120,000 to $208,500 location they wish to develop,” .��

But, , in some cases the fee was as low as $19,000 if it meant sealing the deal.

In Bergen County, New Jersey, a showed franchisee Mohamed Elsaid paid his initial fee to NYC Bagel in installments. When he couldn’t make the whole sum, he wasn’t issued a refund despite the contract with NYC Bagel ensured a complete refund when a full fee couldn’t be paid.

In the next step, a franchisee would notice that the weekly earnings at the bagel shop aren’t as high as promised. And even when the earnings are low, a good portion went to paying the franchisor. The payments and the debts would start to pile up.

Another 2013 case, also from New Jersey, couple Gordon Cunningham and Christine Mason were victims of a “fraudulent and incomplete franchise disclosure document,” which caused them to lose “a substantial amount of money.”

The couple were told “stores were earning $10,000 to $15,000 per week in revenue.”

The couple visited a store in Parsippany, New Jersey, to see if the earnings were true. That store was making $10,500 per week at best. The couple decided to franchise anyway with a fee of $27,500.

The couple did not earn more than $4,900 per week. By the time their franchise failed, they lost approximately $230,000 and were almost $150,000 in debt.

The New Jersey couple found out that Dennis Mason was in the middle of another franchise scam lawsuit when they accepted his offer. But, only after filing their own lawsuit did that information arise.

In the third step, NYC Bagel would suggest franchisee’s take out a loan from a small business administration to make debt collection easier.��

“To help protect franchisee’s investments, a cost-free third-party project funding assessment will be made available,” as .

As the debt would start piling higher for the store owners and with a third-party in charge of collection, the franchisors would disappear.

The franchisee, stuck in this income-to-debt loop, would then be forced to close down shop.

Out of 58 stores monitored, Kelly reported or left the NYC Bagel brand and then closed.��

When a franchise failed, Kelly said, NYC Bagel then deflected blame to the franchisee.

When Kelly asked NYC Bagel about the closure of a particular store in Tracy, California, NYC Bagel told him the franchisee “went to pieces” because her husband died, he said.��

“In fact, the husband died three years earlier,” Kelly said.

It is not unusual for business entities to suggest third-party collectors while being the main creditor. However, this can lead to predatory behavior against the franchisee because collectors can enforce payments with lawsuits.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, a government organization that records consumer data, their largest source of consumer complaints per month is debt collection.��

Additionally, the Federal Trades Commission states consumer harassment by debt collectors is illegal given the an act aimed at protecting consumers from abuse.

The fear of facing lawsuits, which are costly themselves, may keep franchisees reluctant to take legal action against NYC Bagel, their creditor.��

And that refundable fee that could help out a struggling franchisee? It’s not always paid back. Washington state’s Department of Financial Institutions led a into NYC Bagel franchising violations. It found seven out of 10 lawsuits resulted with refunded fees.

The scheme and its actors

Before it was NYC Bagel and Sandwich Shop, show founder and CEO Joseph V. Smith ran the company under the name . And before that, Smith ran it under NYC Bagel Café and Deli.

Smith’s right-hand and chief salesman is Dennis Kenneth Mason, who has used multiple fake names. A reported Mason to have used the alias Keith Samuels.��

Kelly reports Mason has used so far, including alternative spellings of his name and going by Anthony Stewart.

Both Smith and Mason have declared three known bankruptcies among them, which Kelly believes is a way to “fold over” when it comes to paying back franchisees. The was filed in 2009 by Mason.

The bagel company has accrued multiple lawsuits in several states over the years. Smith, Mason and NYC Bagel and Sandwich Shop were issued a cease and desist in , banned from business in and , as well as having faced .

In Virginia, a found New York Bagel Enterprises, Inc., guilty of fraud. The state penalized the bagel company as an entity and each of its owners, individually, to pay $225,000 each — for a total of $675,000. The case also ordered all three parties to pay back the fees to their franchisees and to pay the court $20,899.33 for their investigation.

The case also “permanently enjoined” the bagel company and the assailants from registering or participating as a franchise in Virginia.

The year before, in Maryland, the bagel company was found to be selling franchises two years past their trade permit’s expiration. The case ordered Smith and Mason to stop all franchise trades unwarranted by Maryland law.

As for the , the legal findings cited Mason as a defendant in “at least 10 commercial lawsuits,” with seven cases resulting in franchisees being refunded their initial fees.��

The findings also showed franchise opportunities had been advertised on Craigslist with a franchising fee of $27,500. Additionally, findings showed Mason was franchising illegally without a license and that NYC Bagel had violated the state’s Franchise Investments Protection Act, a law set on protecting franchisee from financial abuse.��

There are that legally require franchise registration. Washington, Virginia and Maryland are three of them. The District of Columbia requires no registration.

A on Dennis Mason was conducted by ��Ӱ�� through , a public record search service. Mason is listed as the president of two business: Franchise Ventures, Inc. and Franchise Unlimited, Inc.

Although the service disclaimed little confidence in Mason’s criminal record search, there were multiple assaults, a felony and a forgery conviction listed. Whether the assaults were truly his is unknown and the felony charge predates NYC Bagel’s activities.

However, on Oct. 31, 2014, one Dennis Mason was convicted of forgery by a New Jersey Court. Between 2013 and 2015, show NYC Bagel faced multiple problems with the law in all New Jersey, New York and Maryland.

A background search was conducted for Joseph V. Smith as well. His name wasn’t found on the database, and TruthFinder has an

This investigation could not find Smith in multiple other databases either.

The third-wheeling oddity

Alongside Smith and Mason, a third player exists: the bagel supplier.

is the exclusive supplier of all NYC Bagels, and its owner is .��

When Kelly was asked if he had come across Fintz, he scoffed and said to look up Marc A. Zirogiannis — Fintz’ original, legal name.

On TruthFinder, Zirogiannis had a verified name but no criminal record history at all. On another public records search platform, , he had no criminal record either. However, SpyFly did show an October 2016 bankruptcy discharge for Zirogiannis, possibly used to alleviate debt.��

SpyFly also showed seven Uniform Commercial Code filings, also known as a UCC-1, a method that allows creditors to notify other creditors about a debtor’s assets being used as collateral.

One way a UCC-1 can be used is issuing it as a security agreement between a lender and a small business. The lender uses the filing to place a lien on, for example, inventory or equipment of a small business.

In exchange, the entity that files a UCC-1 can ask the small business to take out a loan. If the business fails to pay back the loan they just took out, that party can’t claim what’s part of a UCC-1 file.

Zirogiannis filing a UCC-1 multiple times means he was often in a lending position with securities placed on special interests of those who owed him money.

Despite having a hard-to-trace record, Zirogiannis’ name did show in news archives.

On July 8, 2009, Zirogiannis was that involved a range of financial juggernauts like AFG Financial Group Inc., Wells Fargo and SunTrust mortgage among others.

Zirogiannis on Nov. 24, 2009, and was charged with grand larceny.��

Since Zirogiannis was a practicing attorney with a felony on his record, he was automatically disbarred. Kelly said Zirogiannis served time in the infamous Rikers Island prison system for his offence but no evidence could be found on where Zirogiannis served his sentence.

Zirogiannis is also an author of multiple books, with titles ranging from taekwondo help books and Nazi history to crime drama fiction.

Being an experienced author, Kelly said Zirogiannis may be behind aimed at discrediting investigations into the NYC Bagel scam. Kelly, admitting that “some of the stuff Zirogiannis wrote about me was pretty clever and funny,” also pointed to a post titled “”

He thought it was another “public relations tactic” and paid it little mind initially. However, one day, Kelly said, he received an anonymous package shortly after discovering Zirogiannis’ identity.

Inside the package was a book titled “,” authored by Zirogiannis.��

The book is a memoir detailing Zirogiannis’ time watching a bagel empire rise and crumble while he worked as a consultant for founder and then-owner Helmer Toro. Kelly suspects that neither Smith nor Mason are the masterminds of the franchise web, rather Zirogiannis is.

Zirogiannis is said to have spent jail time with Helmer Toro, who was and spent 50 weekends in jail. Toro was charged with grand larceny for pocketing more than $500,000 in employee taxes.��

The Rise and Fall of H&H Bagels’ profile, posted by Zirogiannis himself, describes Toro’s bagel baron history as a “fulfillment of the American dream,” with “drama and decadence behind the scenes.”

Zirogiannis also described the author the book, himself, as, “the one man who lived through it all — its National Business Manager and right hand to the man at the top of the H&H Empire.”

Smith, Mason and Zirogiannis did not reply to multiple media requests sent by ��Ӱ��.

Franchising and the American Dream

Like Pepe Montesinos, whose restaurant Mixtec operated for 40 years at the same address that may now see a NYC Bagel franchise, Amin Hilal is an immigrant too.

Hilal, a former Syrian refugee from Turkey who migrated with his Arab-American wife to Washington, D.C., said franchising would be a good start toward an American dream.

For Hilal, a franchise like the can come with financial promise — or ruin.��

, a platform aimed at connecting franchisors with prospective franchisees, on the healthy gains of the industry.��

Franchising is simple and sustainable.

On the other hand, pyramid schemes and credit rackets that target vulnerable groups are also rampant in the franchising world. The Federal Trades Commission recorded a total of made in 2018 alone, 20% of them targeting people aged 60 and above.

And, Sean Kelly said some of the scammed NYC Bagel franchisees depicted a pattern of two additional targeted groups: U.S. veterans and immigrants.

When asked how he would react to a similar scheme, Hilal said financial distress and “being cheated” wouldn’t only “create a sense of disillusion,” it would possibly create “an imitated behavior.”

“If cheating people is how the American dream is done, what does that teach immigrants like me? It would make me want to cheat them back, or cheat someone else,” he said.

Adams Morgan’s unclear future

The permit for the NYC Bagel store in Adams Morgan, verified by DC’s Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs’ Permits Division, was issued to .

There is no clear evidence of the relationship between NYC Bagel and Spirits Investment Group other than a franchise deal.

“Cases like these are easy to defend as long as it doesn’t reach the state’s attorney’s office,” said criminal defense lawyer Christian Hatfield. “And if they do, hard evidence doesn’t always stick.”

The tweet dates back to July 14, 2015, and reported on the opening as early as April 1 that year. NYC Bagel was never granted a permit for the location.

Based in New Mexico, Hatfield often takes cases that require representation in other states. He also added that “political connections” are usually the “big indicator,” saying “it’s easier to get away with something if a politician has your back.”

This investigation did not find ties between the people mentioned and political groups or figures.

As for the future of the Adams Morgan location, Kelly doubts it’ll ever open. In his research, he said two stores in D.C. have been declared before and neither opened — one on U Street and the other said to be in Georgetown.

The now defunct LovelYogurt had signs of a new NY Bagel Cafe & Deli coming in 2015. However, the 1017 U Street NW address never saw a NYC Bagel store open, and the last permit for the location at the time was for Gabriel Robison, granted in 2012. (��Ӱ�� / Courtesy of Sean Kelly)

Adams Morgan resident Autumn Anthony said a New York style bagel shop would be highly unlikely to gain much attention in Adams Morgan anyway. Anthony pointed to local favorite Bethesda Bagels and So’s Your Mom.

“So’s Your Mom is a legit New York City deli, it’s not in the name but you’ll see it when you’re there,” she said. “I doubt people would let it slide if a store opened up and claimed it was ‘New York style’ then turns out it isn’t.”

As for Hilal, his aspirations to run and own his business still remain. He already has an idea: a coffee shop with a stage where different people share stories on culture and identity.��

He would call it “hakawati,” an Arabic word that translates to storyteller.

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Smithsonian ZooLights too good to pass, even with day-long rain

Yousef Alshammari — Tue, 10 Dec 2019 19:08:29 +0000

Rain made way for a gloomy, picturesque setting at the Monday night, which managed to attract visitors despite unappealing weather conditions.

Celebrating its annual lights show, the Smithsonian National Zoo invites all to enjoy illuminated animals in a Christmas-themed environment. The show uses over 500,000 LED lights all powered by D.C.’s electric power company Pepco.

On a rainy night with most of the attractions kept away, a walk through ZooLights may last between 10-20 minutes. (Yousef Alshammari / ��Ӱ��)

“I thought it would be emptier than this,” said Husain Karam, a visitor from Birmingham, England. “It feels like a scene from a Tim Burton movie.”

Karam has been wanting to visit the zoo since his college days in Philadelphia. Despite not having animals on display at night, ZooLights was still a worthy visit for him.

“I actually don’t mind the rain. I like the somber yet pretty scenery, it feels like the Grinch is hiding somewhere,” Karam said.

Visitors flocked around a projector as it was counting down to the start of the show. The laser show was accompanied by Christmas songs to which some people were humming along with or even dancing.

Accompanying Karam was Omar Madi, a Canadian on his first visit to Washington, D.C.

Madi said ZooLights was a reward after a “boring meeting.”

On a Monday night, especially a rainy one, visitors don’t get the chance to fully experience ZooLights. Live music, food and an arsenal of attractions are available to the public, but on weekend nights.

For Stuart Elnagdy, a Columbia Heights resident who visited during the weekend, a gloomy ZooLights was a missed opportunity.��

“I think a nice walk all by myself in the zoo with the lights would’ve been perfect,” he said. “Whoever’s walking there on a Monday night, their week’s probably less stressful already.”

Elnagdy has lived in D.C. for almost two years but this marks his first visit to see ZooLights, now in its 13th year.��

One newly added attraction, which the Smithsonian calls “,” with much pun intended, is a virtual reality headset allowing visitors a close-enough encounter with pandas Bei Bei, Bao Bao and their parents.��

Other new attractions include the collection of animal lanterns dotted around the zoo and a promenade of lights around the zoo’s trees and plants.��

Former favorites make a return as well with a laser show projected on the zoo’s famed Elephant Community Center, a European-styled market and multiple children’s rides.

ZooLights offers free admission and runs until New Year’s Day. On Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve, the zoo will be closed.

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Advocates: Impeachment hearings spotlight sentiment about immigrants of all types

Yousef Alshammari — Wed, 20 Nov 2019 21:32:15 +0000

Lawyers, advocates and immigrants view some of the reaction to the impeachment hearings as a broad reflection of what they see as Trump’s immigration ideology.

So far, three witnesses testifying before the House Intelligence Committee hearings are immigrants.

Marie Yovanovitch, who was born in Canada, is a daughter of immigrants fleeing the Soviet Union, Lt. Col. Alex Vindman was brought to the U.S. by his father who fled a Soviet-controlled Ukraine and Fiona Hill’s coal miner father brought her from Northern England for better economic opportunities.

Most of the attention has been on Vindman and Yovanovitch. Immigration advocates have noticed.

All three witnesses earned Ivy League degrees and held positions in service to the U.S. Vindman and Yovanovitch faced the same “duality” accusations by the Trump administration that other immigrants go through as well, said former Maryland State Delegate Maricé Morales, now an immigration lawyer.

Conservative media have been critical of Vindman. Fox & Friends host Brian Kilmeade said that Vindman “tends to feel sympatico with the Ukraine,” according to Newsweek. Trump also attacked Yovanovitch, prompting the Democrats to push back with claims of “witness intimidation.”

The “treatment of Vindman” represents the “irony of Trump’s relationship with immigration,” Morales said. She explained how the “blatant anti-immigrant sentiment” of questioning Ukranian-born Vindman’s loyalty to the U.S. symbolizes “Trump’s disloyalty to the American people.”

Vindman showed up in his military uniform this week to show his collection of awards and his “high- ranking positions in U.S. service,” Morales said. But “Republican congressmen questioned his loyalty simply because he’s an immigrant.”

In the hearing GOP legal counsel raised the issue of Vindman being offered a high-ranking position in the Ukrainian government; Vindman said it was “comical.”

Morales, who is also the youngest Latina to serve at the state level in the country, said although immigration policies aren’t at the heart of the impeachment hearings, the Ukraine scandal is suitable because it’s most accessible to the public.

Marie Yovanovitch and Alex Vindman both come from parents who lived under Soviet rule. (Yousef Alshammari / ��Ӱ��, Associated Press, Getty Images)

Trump policies on immigration

Morales said she has officially endorsed Elizabeth Warren and highlighted the importance of voting when it comes to new leadership.

For immigration advocacy veteran Douglas Rivlin, political change also comes with voting.

Rivlin, who serves as the director of communications at America’s Voice, an immigration advocacy organization, said what lies in the “heart of the Ukraine scandal” is “Trump’s decisions based on his own self interest which also explains a lot of Trump’s immigration policies.”

An reports that 34% of the American public consider “dissatisfaction with the government and poor leadership” as the most important problem facing the country.

The same poll reports 13% consider immigration as the most important problem. The two mentioned categories are the highest on the list of options that include racism and poverty as choices.

“That’s why I think Congress is correct in pursuing the Ukraine case,” he said. “Even though there are any number of other policies that are outside the law, are screaming for more congressional oversight, and need strong pushback in the courts.”

When asked if her field has seen drastic change with the Trump administration, immigration lawyer Eileen Blessinger said immigration policies under Trump have made her clients’ lives more difficult than before.

“It will take years upon years to undo this,” Blessinger said of circuit and appellate courts dismissing the authority of immigration courts, a legal phenomenon she said Trump empowered.

To solidify their clients’ cases, immigration lawyers seek psychological verification for trauma. Gabriela Romo, a psychologist with a specialty in dealing with a range of immigrants, said “I have more clients since Trump.”

When it comes to impeachment and immigration related news cycles, “the fear and anxiety of being deported” by Trump is a recurring theme she said.

Romo said “watching the news is a trigger that reminds traumatized immigrants about the abandonment and the risk of danger” they constantly face.

Contributing: Matt Thibault

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The Imperial: a new bar from Jack Rose opens in Adams Morgan

Yousef Alshammari — Tue, 05 Nov 2019 17:30:36 +0000

Adams Morgan is set to welcome another bar to its already lively 18th Street strip. The Imperial, part of the Jack Rose Dining Saloon, officially opens on Wednesday, Nov. 13 to the delight of local residents and bar owners alike.

The 5,500-square-foot bar and restaurant located at 2001 18th St. NW aims for a dining menu focused on mid-Atlantic flavors. And for drinks, owner Bill Thomas brings his signature obsessively collected vintage whiskies to the table — this time with a twist in scenery.

Shot @washingtonianmag
・・・
We got the inside look at the Imperial, the highly anticipated cocktail bar and Mid-Atlantic restaurant from the Jack Rose team. The three-story Adams Morgan spot opens tonight! Use the link in our bio to get…

— Rey Lopez (@reylopez809_rey)

Unlike its predecessor Jack Rose, a dark-tinted and smokey-vibed bar only two doors up 18th Street, the new three-story bar is naturally lit with open windows and a marble-heavy theme.��

The Imperial, however, will keep true to the grim-yet-elegant mantra of Jack Rose with a speakeasy basement, named Dram & Grain, all while forging a new image with an open rooftop overlooking U Street.

Jack Rose’s public relations director, Brittany Julep, highlighted that further changes from the mother establishment’s design revolve around food just as much as the change in scenery.��

The menu’s range, just as extensive as the alcoholic beverages selection, includes a variety of French inspired dishes. From the centuries-old foie de gras to a “whole fish of the day,” the Imperial will also serve a medley of vegetarian dishes as well as oysters.

Pricing, like the menu, covers a wide range: some plates cost between $11-$17 while others go for $39.��

As surrounding areas like the U Street corridor also grow, a shifting consumer base may prove to be an obstacle for Adams Morgan bar patrons. are now available on the corridor, a residential growth that will likely demand a commercial one.

The Mysterious Adams Morgan Bar Complex That Took Five Years to Build Is Finally Here

— It’s Adams Morgan! (@ItsAdamsMorgan)

When asked about their bar consumption habits related to the growing interest in 14th and U Street, Adams Morgan locals don’t much mind the pricing or another bar on the strip.

Joe Qian, an Adams Morgan resident and World Bank officer, pointed to the “decent food and different vibes,” while also adding the importance of having “hundreds of alcohol varieties.”

“It’s perfect for a scotch lover,” he said.

Another neighborhood local and George Washington University employee, Autumn Anthony, had a similar take but not entirely the same excitement for Jack Rose’s alcohol collection.

The self-described “wine or the occasional cocktail” consumer, who also lives less than two blocks away from The Imperial, said she’s excited for “something a bit more fancy than the bars on the strip.”

Anthony said when relatives visit, she takes them to Georgetown for drinks and not the strip because “it’s not entirely the kind of place I want to take my mom or grandmother.”

“I’ve taken a few peeks inside when I walk by,” she said of the Imperial. “I’m excited to go, it just looks pleasant and I’m hoping their food is good enough for more than a drink. I like dark wine, I don’t like a dark place to drink it in.”

Other than the Imperial posing a more refined space for locals, Anthony expressed doubt that Adams Morgan residents would generally prefer to seek a “fun night out” elsewhere. She said the neighborhood holds a stronger sense of community that isn’t always visible.

The idea that Adams Morgan functions as a whole isn’t alien to local bar owners either. John McEntire, the owner of the local Irish pub Shenanigan’s, said he’s more than happy to see another bar open on Adams Morgan.

Like many of the bar’s on the 18th Street strip, Shenanigan’s was ready for Halloween with a grim reaper while others decorated their bars with spider webs and skeleton props. (Yousef Alshammari / ��Ӱ��)

McEntire said “a sense of community” is the norm among bar owners in the neighborhood as some bars will “fill up their responsibility” of keeping the bar scene functional and attractive to incoming customers.

After McEntire was asked whether bar owners keep in close contact to nurture this communal sense, he laughed and said he had just got off the phone with Bill Duggan, the owner of the legendary Madam’s Organ bar.

As for competition, McEntire pointed to local bars and said “if they’re good, we’re good.” He explained that the strip succeeds as a whole because if one slips, customers would project that perception on the scene as a whole.

The communal efforts of Adams Morgan’s bar scene attracts visitors just as much as immediate locals, too.

Stuart Elnagdy, a Columbia Heights resident and a political researcher in the National Endowment for Democracy think tank, said he prefers the 18th Street bar scene over other Washington areas.

“14th and U is growing. It is a nicer place than when I moved here. I do go there because it’s fun,” he said. “But, when I’m in charge of a night out, I want Adam’s Morgan. It just has that vibe.”

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Profiles: 3 women leading DC African immigrant communities

Yousef Alshammari — Wed, 23 Oct 2019 18:46:39 +0000

Washington is home to a higher proportion of African immigrants than any major U.S. city. While the stands at 13%, the District’s population is 17%.

Black women around the DMV area take up leadership mantles in various fields. In areas ranging from global fashion to aspirations in film and immigration advocacy, their entrepreneurial methods guide the way for African communities toward a more accessible future.

Made in Africa

Nestled around Adams Morgan and its surrounding corridors, businesses like , a clothing company with products made exclusively in Africa, are a reflection of many African-owned, award-winning businesses.

Born in Ethiopia and adopted by a U.S. family, Abai Schulze, owner of ZAAF, would visit her home country during the summers, she . While in Ethiopia as an intern for United States Agency for International Development, a government agency facilitating civilian based foreign assistance, Schulze worked with local businesses to target a global audience.

Schulze realized European clothing brands were capitalizing on Ethiopia’s leather industry and decided to act on it.��

“I wanted to tap into that,” Schulze said. “Why not make it at home, by our own people, add value to it, export it, and market and rebrand Ethiopia.”

Shortly after establishing ZAAF, Schulze received international recognition with a , having ZAAF participate in a New York Fashion Week show and showcasing ZAAF products globally from Nairobi to France.

Attended the “2019 African Diaspora Network Impact & Innovation Speaker Series” in Washington DC today. And I got to meet the Founder of ADN,

— ZAAF® (@ZAAF_COLLECTION)

Issued by the multinational financial corporation American Express, the highlighted both triumphs and challenges in black communities.��

From 2007 to 2018, businesses owned by black women skyrocketed with a 164% growth rate and 2.4 million companies total. Black women own triple the amount of women as a whole, all the while being the only race that surpasses male ownership.��

Although the successes remain notable, black womens’ average revenue exponentially dropped to almost $67,000 while “non-minority women,” the report states, saw an average revenue rise from $181,000 to $212,300.

Film & Identity

Kristie Taiwo-Makanjuola, a longtime resident of the DMV area and first generation Nigerian-American, has her sights set on the film industry said “the biggest challenge” is a “lack of diversity in my industry.”

A published by the Mayor’s Office of African Affairs notes that 17% of the District’s immigrant population is African-born, accounting for approximately 16,000 people. The population often identifies as being part of an African diaspora.��

A explains the diaspora as people with roots in 46 out of 54 countries in Africa with historic displacement. In the past, the definition would encompass countries that suffered the trans-Atlantic slave trade.��

However, in contemporary terms, concerning countries like Ethiopia or Nigeria, the definition moves away from historically enslaved parts of Africa. Rather, the modern day definition revolves around displacement caused by previously colonized or economically struggling nations.

Taiwo-Makanjuola’s aspirations for the film industry focus on greater representation of people with the same identity.

“Although efforts have been made during the past few years, there is still more work to be done,” she said. “It can be discouraging when you don’t see faces that look like yours in spaces that you one day hope to fill.”

The University of Maryland graduate said “my advice to young black women would be to find yourself and know who you are as soon as possible.”

She also pointed to the outside pressures on her identity, saying “people will try to mold or shape you into who they want you to be.”

Commenting on what “needs more media coverage” on “African and Carribean communities,” Taiwo-Makanjuola said “mental health” is one major topic.��

“We are all black but many of us are immigrants,” she said, highlighting a disregarded subgroup of African-Americans.

“As immigrants, many of us had parents who constantly made sacrifices in order for their children to be safe, healthy and most importantly happy,” Taiwo-Makanjuola said. “Therefore, I think it is important that we use the opportunities our parents paved for us to create a happy life worth living.”

“I hope to positively inspire people within my community, specifically young people,” Taiwo-Makanjuola said. “I am very big on following your dreams and breaking norms especially if it will grant you your happiness.”

Advocacy

For Joella Roberts, an immigration advocate and student at the University of the District of Columbia, finding herself revolves greatly around education. Originally from Trinidad and Tobago, Roberts is also a Dreamer — a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipient.

Joella Roberts, far right, attended the La Fuerza Summit as a panelist on Oct. 12. Roberts spoke to a mostly Latino audience at the Gaithersburg High School in Montgomery County, Maryland. She spoke on the struggles of being undocumented with fellow panelists and advocated for education and security in the county. (Yousef H. Alshammari / ��Ӱ��)

Living with the challenge of being undocumented, Roberts said she believes education is the way to success. Roberts keeps true to her identity by being active in her community.��

“At school, I found my people,” she said, explaining how her predominantly black university empowered her toward a path of advocacy. Roberts was one of the organizers of the first undocumented rally at a historically black college or university.��

When it comes to African diaspora voices in the U.S., Abel Nunez, executive director of an immigration advocacy organization called CARECEN, said one of the challenges “is not having sophisticated African advocacy groups like Latinos do.”

Nunez also added that media coverage “focuses mostly on Latino voices when it comes to immigrant issues.”

When asked about the importance of acknowledging mental health, specifically for undocumented black immigrants, Roberts said “my mind is in shambles.”

Shortly after receiving her Dreamer status in 2015, Roberts began to advocate for the cause despite “having a hard time navigating through it,” she said.��

However, she continued her advocacy for education and access to scholarships for Dreamers, adding that “there’s privilege in the margins” in her story.��

Roberts was recently assigned as the student member on her university’s Board of Trustees, where she voices the struggles of black immigrant in her community.

“If you’re an advocate but who you’re advocating for doesn’t listen, you need to make sure your movement is well fought for,” she said.

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Adams Morgan locals on new Wawa store: Mostly ‘Meh’

Yousef Alshammari — Wed, 09 Oct 2019 21:37:06 +0000

Less than a month after opening on Adams Morgan’s famed 18th Street strip, local shoppers and business owners say Wawa doesn’t create that much of a dent on convenience store activity.

Despite being a well-known brand on the East Coast since the early 1960s, Wawa as a business is over two centuries old. The New Jersey born establishment began as an iron foundry, later converting its interests to the dairy industry and finally transformed into a food market business in 1964.��

Capitalizing on an attractive and busy Adams Morgan, Wawa “thinks it’ll do well here so of course they opened a branch,” said Alaa’Edin, a local business owner.

Two blocks down, opposite the Marie Reed Community Center, Alaa’Edin runs Khartoum Halal Bakkal, a Middle Eastern convenience store. While offering an array of imported goods in the front of his shop, Alaa’Edin also operates an Islamic butcher shop in the back.��

“Wawa doesn’t really affect me,” he said. “I don’t serve coffee, I’m not open 24 hours a day, but my clients are a lot and it’ll keep me going.”

Wawa stores are open 24 hours a day with freshly brewed coffee around the clock. The store opened in late September and is the fourth installment in Washington, D.C. (Yousef Alshammari / ��Ӱ��)

The Sudanese-American pointed to his hookah tobacco collection and smirked, asking if Wawa offers imported products like his shop. When a shopper came to check out their purchase, Alaa’Edin picked up a bottle of Egyptian mango nectar and asked, “can Wawa sell you this?”

Wawa offers an array of signature and affordable built-to-order sandwiches, salads and freshly brewed coffee. However, Wawa “doesn’t sell alcohol and cigarettes,” Alaa’Edin said.��

Competing with local supermarkets is another obstacle, Alaa’Edin said, given that Wawa doesn’t sell fresh produce. Being another prominent convenient store, 7-Eleven would be the main competitor, he said.

“If anything, Wawa might compete with the 7-Eleven stores around for cigarettes because if people are having a good time on 18th Street, they’re not going to get anything other than coffee and a sandwich from Wawa,” he said.

On the opposite street, separated only by a collection of Adams Morgan’s Victorian inspired houses, a yet-to-be-open Streets Market mirrors Wawa’s location on Columbia Road. A few blocks up 18th Street is also a Safeway with a 7-Eleven store close by.��

“I’ve never even walked into a Wawa store before,” said Autumn Anthony, a local resident and international programs coordinator at George Washington University.��

“I get my groceries from Yes market or Safeway and if I want coffee, I’ll go to Tryst or Pitango. I’d rather go to a 7-Eleven for gum or something than Wawa,” she said.��

A placed 7-Eleven with the highest All Commodity Volume, ACV, at almost $35 billion. ACV measures the total annual sales volume aggregated from a local to a national level. The method of analysis basically signifies a ratio of profit.��

Although Wawa’s ACV stands at $9.8 billion, it’s less than a third of 7-Eleven’s retail power. However, when it comes to sandwiches, Wawa is a national favorite. A states Wawa’s favorability among U.S. sandwich consumers stands at 62%.

Unlike Anthony, Joe Qian, an Adams Morgan resident and World Bank external affairs officer, said Wawa shouldn’t be taken lightly with its “speed and marketing prowess.”

“We’ve already gotten coupons from them,” Qian said on Wawa mailing promotions to nearby residents before the opening.

Qian’s concern revolved around the replacement of “mom and pop stores” as franchised brands like Wawa open up across the District, but he also noted how a shift in “tastes and preferences” reflect the new business climate.��

For local customers, Qian said, “low prices and decent quality” are favorable elements even if Wawa’s affect on other convenience stores “is yet to be seen.”

“Wawa will definitely force other convenience stores to step up their game, maybe even fast food restaurants and sandwich shops,” he said.

Along with neighborhood’s cafes serving sandwiches and snacks, the area also hosts a score of fast food establishments like Popeyes and multiple pizza stores.

A states Wawa’s favorability among U.S. sandwich consumers stands at 62%.��

On Aug. 1, Wawa announced another opening at One Thomas Circle. The new store would be the fifth installment in Washington, D.C.

“The flipside to chains” opening up in a neighborhood like Adams Morgan though, Qian said, is making “the neighborhood less interesting and more similar to other neighborhoods around the country.”

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Yousef Alshammari - ��������Ӱ��