Alumni Features

According to the 2019 Annual Business Survey (ABS), approximately 18.3 percent (1.0 million) of all U.S. businesses are minority-owned. Born and raised in Chicago, Jesse Steward Jr. '14, Founder and CEO of Alexander James Straight Bourbon Whiskey, has broken down barriers and pushed the limits to build his legacy as a Black entrepreneur. "I credit the Lasallian standards and morals that are emphasized on campus; integrity and character shape who you are, not only as a person, but also as an entrepreneur." Jesse has fond childhood memories of his grandfathers who would get together for a glass of whiskey, share family stories and talk about history. One day years later, while enjoying a drink with them, Jesse decided that he wanted to make his own whiskey - to continue the tradition of storytelling and share the legacy they had built many years ago. Fast forward to 2017, a few months before his son was born, when he began to solidify plans for this dream. He knew he was