This Black woman is restructuring the construction industry one green project at a time!
Revolutionary, ambitious, and creative barely touch the surface of who Jessica Lewis is and how she’s using her business to close the gap between the Black community and green construction.
Lewis is the CEO and Co-Founder of Mobu Enterprises — the construction firm on a mission to restore communities by educating, advocating, and improving our environment with sustainable products and self-sustaining designs that fit together like Lego’s!
For Lewis, it’s all about helping the community tap into ways to help them live better through green construction.
Not only is she using her platform to dominate the green construction space through her development of disaster relief Affordable Housing Projects made from Shipping Containers and SmartSteel, but Lewis continues to lift as she climbs through an apprenticeship program specifically designed for HBCU students.
Why is Green construction so important to our wellbeing?
Lewis: At Mobu Enterprises we are focused on helping people to understand the benefits that come with pivoting their lifestyle to living in a green space.
Most people don’t even realize that they’re allergic to their own homes and workspaces whether it’s due to drywall, carpet, or wood.
People also don’t understand that even working in green construction or sustainable space means that you are committed to being a good steward of the earth.
With green construction not being an industry with a lot of women who look like us, what are some ways that your company is changing the narrative?
Lewis: Two ways mainly. Both my partner and I are Black and being Black in construction, green construction specifically, is not very common. Being a woman is even less common.
We also share the love for what we and we’ve broken ceilings just by ensuring that we’re credible.
What we’re capable of doing and our experience is at the forefront of conversations and ultimately that changes the way that others can see themselves in this space.
That’s amazing! Speaking of representation, you’re representing HBCUs in your latest apprenticeship program, what inspired this?
Lewis: In order to make Blacks in green construction the norm, we here at Mobu Enterprises understand that we must partner and give back to our HBCUs.
A lot of the projects that we’re working on include creating new student housing which allows students to benefit directly from green construction and even get the opportunity to compete against one another for the design of those buildings.
They’re not just learning about green construction, but also entrepreneurship and the effects of living and working in green spaces.
We’re making HBCUs more competitive in the green industry.
For more on Mobu Enterprises click here.
