Interview with Kim Guess

This is an interview with the owner of The Xperience Kim Guess recorded in 2024. Ms. Guess was interviewed by JB Brown as a part of SHARE's “Standing on Her Shoulders” oral history project. During the interview Ms. Guess discusses the following topics: The significance of opening the first Black-owned multi-use entertainment venue in Kalamazoo; The struggles and pushback she faces as a business owner; Advocating for and diversifying (downtown) Kalamazoo; The importance of collaboration; Reviving the Kalamazoo Island Festival; Her pride in the work that she does; Being a Black Woman entrepreneur; Being an introvert; Being motivated by others in the community; Her advice to entrepreneurs; Her visions for the future, and; Standing on the shoulders of her enslaved ancestors.