Issue link: http://maconmagazine.uberflip.com/i/1476674
and this can be a small step forward for the city. Right now, what is the best thing going on in Macon? Macon is a great place to start a new venture. Right now, I'm seeing a renaissance of diversity in the arts and music scene. I hope others will also see the importance of investing in the local arts culture. What have you learned about yourself or people during the post-2020 era (taking into consideration COVID, Black Lives Matter, economy, etc.)? What do you hope people will do in response to any/all of our current events? This community is one of the most diverse (racially, economically, and socially) in the Middle/Central Georgia area, and I see that as one of our strongest attributes. I believe our community has done a decent job at "talking" about a lot of the issues and matters that we see in the media and deal with in our day- to-day life, but taking initiative to act is the next step. What is your vision for our community? One day I would like Macon to be known as one of the best cities in the South. A community where schools are known for their excellence. Where people come to seek out our thriving art and music community. Macon can be a start-up city where entrepreneurs build industries. I want people from all over to come to Macon to feel that it is a welcoming and inclusive place to live. I see great potential in our city, and I feel that we all have a role in getting us there. What does it mean to be a good leader? I was taught that a good leader doesn't lead from a distance or sit idly by. A true leader encourages you. They would tell you that you can do it and here's how. In my experience, I can't pretend that they can have it all, but I know how to give it my all. Christèle Parham, 36 CEO of Ham Designs and Cofounder of Macon Black Tech Tell us about your job and why you chose your career field. Growing up in Haiti and as an immigrant, at an early age it was ingrained in me that if one person in my surrounding was not okay, we were all not okay. Whether I was in my grandparents' house in Jeremie, my uncle's house, or my parents' home, we all shared things equally, no matter if we were related or not. As I got older, that really fueled me to consider the aspect of community as a whole and what can I contribute to society holistically. I grew up with a family full of entrepreneurs. I knew at a very young age I would be one, just didn't know when. As Ariane (my husband) and I started our business, we were looking for a community ourselves where we would not be judged as we were figuring out entrepreneurship as founders of color. We found community in various spaces outside of Macon and decided it was necessary to create a safe space for founders of color to navigate through technology as we were sensitive to what pain points might look like for us. AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2022 | maconmagazine.com 41