Stephanie is a native of  Western North Carolina and a Community Economic Development  professional. With more than 20+ years in the nonprofit Industry,  Stephanie is a champion and an activist working with  Black/Indigenous/POC businesses to help them become "asset builders and  wealth creators."

Stephanie Swepson-Twitty of Old Fort knows the history of the Block firsthand. After a career in banking and finance, she and her husband opened a shop in 2002, Stevie’s Originals, which sold home decor from the Ivory Coast and Ghana. However, running the business proved to be a struggle for the young entrepreneurs.

Swepson-Twitty then decided to switch gears. She joined the Eagle Market Streets Development Corp., an Asheville nonprofit founded in 1994 by Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church senior pastor John Grant and his congregants, as an AmeriCorps intern. The nonprofit aims to increase economic and social opportunities in the area through property development and workforce development.

By 2008, Swepson-Twitty took to the helm of the organization as the president and CEO. She remains closely involved in the effort to help bring customers and residents back to The Block.

https://mountainx.com/news/qa-stephanie-swepson-twitty-eagle-market-streets-development-corporation/