Contributor: Markayle Tolliver, Coordinator, Community Impact

World Business Chicago enjoys spotlighting inspiring Black & Brown business owners and entrepreneurs, to help inspire and motivate the next generation of business owners.

Today, we present business owner and real estate developer, AJ Patton, CEO, 548 Capital, a real estate company designed to bring more energy-sustained housing to the city of Chicago. 

AJ Patton grew up in Terre Haute, Indiana but his entire mother’s family is from Chicago’s southside. Patton remembers a goal of his family from childhood that he shares —

‘It was my grandmother’s dream for one of her grandchildren to go back to Chicago and make a difference.”

As an young entrepreneur, AJ’s advice to future entrepreneurs is — 

“Find a problem and solve it. A great business solves a problem for people or other businesses.  Once you have figured out solutions, find a way to create space so that it is solved in an equitable way.” 

Taking his advice personally, Patton decided to join the business industry and make a difference. AJ shares his interest in the business industry — 

“I saw a gap in the market of renewable energy technology not being applied in diverse communities. I wanted to start a company to be a bridge for those technologies to be accessible and applied in a more equitable way.”

For more information about AJ Patton or 548 Capital please visit https://548capital.com/.