Rooted & Rising
Inglewood has always been home for Leslie Jones.
“My parents were married here,” she says. “Although my sisters and I’ve lived in other places, Inglewood is always still our home base. We all end up back here.”
That sense of return — of rootedness — sits at the center of everything Leslie builds. It’s why she opened 1010 Wine Bar, the first and only Black-owned wine bar in Inglewood, and why it serves the largest selection of Black-owned wines in California.
It’s also what drew her to Stackwell’s Visionary Ventures program with Social Change Fund United: a chance to strengthen her financial foundation while continuing to invest in the place and people she cares about most.
1010 isn’t just a business. It’s a commitment to community, access, and opportunity.
Leslie didn’t start in wine. She started in events. For more than a decade, she ran Leslie Marie Events, a wedding and event planning company that taught her what it really takes to execute — and what often gets overlooked. “I noticed when we go to venues, my team as planners needed to do everything,” she explains. “A lot of people aren’t planners.”
That friction sparked an idea.
“I wanted to create an event space that was turnkey,” Leslie says. “You tell us your plan, and we make it ready.”
1010 was built with that intention. It’s welcoming, thoughtful, and designed to lower barriers — creating accessible experiences for her clientele.
“We had a winemaker from Sonoma come down and do pairings for us,” Leslie says about a recent event. “She’s giving people this hands-on connection about wine for free.”
The decision to center Black-owned wines wasn’t strategic — it was personal. “We know that these Black-owned wine companies are not getting the same support as other wine companies,” she says.
So when Leslie and her sister were making decisions about what 1010 should be, the answer felt obvious. “Why not? These are wines that we’re already enjoying at home.”
Building alongside her sister made the leap possible.
“I don’t think there’s like a singular answer,” Leslie says of their partnership. “There’s no one on the planet that I trust more.”
That trust is rooted in shared values — values Leslie learned early.
“My parents really instilled the importance of supporting Black-owned businesses,” she says.
She remembers a moment from childhood clearly. A new B2K album had just come out. She could buy it cheaper at a chain store or spend a few extra dollars at a local Black-owned shop. “I worked for my little money,” she recalls. “If I saw savings, I went for it because I wanted to save my money.”
But her parents stepped in.
“They said, ‘I know it’s your money, and it’s your choice, but it matters where you spend your money.’” Leslie says. “They explained that when you buy from the small business, you’re supporting a Black husband and wife who are trying to send their kids to college. You giving Wherehouse your money isn’t going to change anything for anyone.”
That idea — that money is a tool, and where you direct it matters — stayed with her.
Growing up, finances weren’t a regular topic of conversation. “I think that finances weren’t really highlighted in our household,” Leslie says. “A part of my dad’s compensation was getting stocks. He put some in mine and my sisters’ names, I would get dividend checks, but we never talked about, ‘This is why you’re getting this…’”
“They didn’t want us to worry,” she adds. “Maybe they thought it was too much.”
It wasn’t until her mid-twenties that things began to click. “One of my friends was studying to be a CPA,” Leslie says. “She was detailed with her finances — how she saved and where she invested. I saw how she moved… and then it sparked my interest.”
When Leslie started her first business, investing wasn’t front of mind.
“I wasn’t heavily into investing when I started my first business,” she says. “It was a side hustle. It wasn’t like the business of 1010. I was paying contract workers. All of the extra funds went into a savings.”
Opening 1010 required something different. “It was a huge leap of faith,” Leslie says. “We just had to hone in on what we wanted to do.”
The timing was far from ideal.
“Our building was an automotive garage when we bought it,” she says. “And it was the middle of COVID.”
Still, Leslie never doubted herself.
“When I was younger, my parents convinced me and my sisters that we could do anything we wanted to do,” she says. “That in any room, we weren’t better or worse than anybody else.”
So when people questioned the vision — a wine bar that’s 90% people of color — Leslie didn’t. “People said, ‘That’s crazy,’” she recalls. “I never thought that. I just thought this is what I want to do.”
Today, Leslie sees small businesses as essential infrastructure. “We honor that by opening up our doors everyday,” she says.
Her passion is clear.
“I have so much passion for making sure small businesses survive and thrive,” Leslie says. “People want to do this, but don’t feel like they have the resources. If you have the idea and the work ethic, you can do it.”
After opening multiple businesses, Leslie reached a turning point.
“Going through opening up my businesses, a lot of my savings have been diminished,” she says. “I told my sister at the beginning of the year that I needed a reset. I need to build things up and get back to basics.”
That reset led her to Stackwell’s Visionary Ventures program.
“In addition to the money from the program, I add money too,” she says.
Her approach is practical. “Investing is not rocket science,” Leslie says. “It’s something anyone can do.”
“To have Stackwell walking me along the way just giving me these reminders,” she adds, “is amazing.” She’s excited to let time do its work.
“I’m excited to let the money sit and keep adding to it.”
And recently, her vision for the future expanded in a profound way.
“I just found out I’m pregnant,” Leslie says. “I’ve never wanted kids. It’s like a brain switch,” she explains. “Everything I’ve done has been for me and for my businesses. Now it’s for me, my businesses, and my future child.”
“I want to start an investing account for my child,” she says. “I feel like this Visionary Ventures grant in particular is a gift to me and a gift to my child.”
For Leslie, legacy isn’t abstract. “Generational wealth is not just making sure that your kid can buy a new car,” she says. “Legacy and generational wealth to me is making sure that the next generation and the generation after have the mindset that my parents gave me. That I can do anything.”
Her advice to other entrepreneurs is grounded and hard-earned. “Start small. Educate yourself as much as you can,” Leslie says. “You don’t need $10,000 to put into the market.”
So her message is simple. “Just get started,” Leslie says. “Don’t ask a bunch of people their opinions. Even if it’s $5, even if it’s $10.”
For Leslie Jones, building wealth isn’t about excess. It’s about intention — about using money to create space, opportunity, and a future that reaches further than herself.
Disclaimer: This paid client testimonial was of an actual Stackwell client. This testimonial may not be representative of the experience of other clients. No testimonial is indicative of future performance or success. This testimonial may not represent all interactions or relationships with Stackwell.