Stephen Smith

Stephen Smith is the Owner of M.S. Lean LLC, a Landscaping and small construction company located in Buncombe County NC. Stephen started M.S. Lean to help encourage Entrepreneurship among the Black Community and to employ individuals coming out of incarceration.

Stephen himself served 16 years and 2 months in Prison and upon his release founded the Buncombe County Reentry and participated alongside Mountain Bizworks’ discussion at the White House to push lending to ex-felons for Entrepreneurship.

Stephen is now the President of Black Men United (BMU), a group centered around Economic Development for Blacks and is also the Board Chair of My Daddy Taught Me That (MDTMT) a local Youth Mentorship Program created by one of his closest friends Keynon Lake.

Stephen continues to encourage Entrepreneurship and find new ways of closing the wealth gap for Blacks in this area by sharing his own personal experiences and challenges.