Register to hear Kevin Newell!

Event details
🗓️ Date: Friday, May 16th
⏰ Time: 8:30 – 10:00 AM
📍 Location: ThriveOn King – 2153 N Doctor M.L.K. Jr Drive, Milwaukee, WI 53212
🎟️ Tickets are FREE!

🎤 We’re looking for a brave volunteer to read the Manifesto! If you’re interested in being our shining star, please reply to this email :) You can read as a pair too!

Learn about our keynote speaker

Kevin Newell embodies firsts.

The first of his siblings to graduate from college.

The first African American to build and own a multifamily commercial development in downtown Milwaukee.

The first African American to partner with an NBA team to develop a commercial entertainment district.

Newell received international recognition as a real estate partner with the Milwaukee Bucks, serving as developer and owner of Five Fifty Ultra Lofts, a key venture in the new $1 billion live-work-play entertainment district.

A proud graduate of Milwaukee Public Schools, Newell went on to attend the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, serving as Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Incorporated chapter president, earning a BBA in general management, and one month later graduated from Marquette University’s Associate in Commercial Real Estate, or ACRE, program. He finished at the top of his ACRE class, which allowed him to intern at the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority. Within six months, he was hired full-time as a senior underwriter/asset manager at WHEDA.

In 2009, he earned an MBA emphasizing finance and management. And he quickly put that business, finance, and real estate acumen to use. In 2010 he founded Milwaukee-based Royal Capital Group, a venture and holding company focusing on urban development and innovation. As CEO, he leads the company’s strategic efforts across multiple platforms, including real estate, healthcare, food and beverage, venture and technology, and social responsibility.

In February 2023, Newell was elected to the board of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago, which reported having almost $127 billion in assets at the end of 2022. Also, the Milwaukee Business Journal named Newell to their 40 under 40 list. He has also been named a National Top Real Estate Executive, Regional Top 75 Power Broker, and Top 48 Most Influential African Americans in Wisconsin.

Our theme for May is REVIVAL.

It was chosen by our Fort Worth chapter in Texas and illustrated by Mariell Guzman.

“Everything old is new again” sums up the revivals that bubble up throughout culture. Clothing styles, art movements, and all kinds of things come back into fashion decades after their original popularity waned. It’s a useful paradigm. Take something old, dust it off, and adapt it to suit the present moment. 

But are there really no original ideas left? Has everything been done? Does it matter? New context adds new meaning. You can recycle whatever you want, just make it your own. Lots of things from the past are worth saving from obscurity. 

What we need is a few more revivals. 

A revival of empathy and understanding. 

Kindness and caring.

A revival of handwritten notes and holding open doors for strangers. 

Let’s pursue hobbies and join clubs instead of optimizing and monetizing every hour. 

Bring back boredom and curiosity. 

It’s time for a revival of the golden rule. 

It’s up to you to distill the best of the past and create a better future.

Photo + directions by John December

About ThriveOn King

The ThriveOn Collaboration is a historic, community-centered, place-based collaboration founded on a joint vision for a Milwaukee that is equitable, healthy and thriving for all. The Collaboration is committed to making generational investments in the well-being of Milwaukee communities aimed at eliminating racial, health, economic and social disparities.

The ThriveOn Collaboration was born out of a common interest in making a catalytic, place-based investment that would improve the quality of life for the communities the organizations serve. Our intention is to join with the community and work in partnership with all residents to build on the vibrant history and assets in our city as well as solve persistent challenges. Together, MCW, GMF and RCG will bring complementary expertise on a range of strategies – guided by community priorities and data – to invest in the health, equity and economic well-being of people in Milwaukee through resident and community partnerships, improving social determinants of health and catalyzing change that leverages resources and investment.

The Medical College of Wisconsin, Greater Milwaukee Foundation and Royal Capital are the lead collaborators, along with the residents of the Halyard Park, Harambee and Brewers Hill neighborhoods. Other like-minded community collaborators will be identified over time.

🎶🎵 DJ Jim Q’s May playlist + blog is LIVE and always a great read & listen. An excerpt—

Recordings of rebirth, refreshment, and renewal—the theme this month is Revival, and we are exploring it by looking back and pulling forward. From Gloria Gaynor’s life-affirming rebound anthem “I Will Survive,” to The Misfits’ macabre march of reanimation, “Night of the Living Dead,” to Kendrick Lamar’s song of redemption, “Reincarnated,” these songs will resuscitate your soul and breathe life into your listening experience. So tune in and revive your algorithmic recommendations with these hand-selected tracks of rejuvenation.

This month, we invite you to forward this email to a friend. Invite them to sign-up for our newsletter & register for this event with you!

We can’t wait to see you and your buds, pour out some more coffee, and expand our circle of morning people.