In this episode of Ecosysteming, host Thom Ruhe speaks with Mayor Leonardo Williams of Durham, North Carolina, about leadership, economic development, entrepreneurship, and the untold story behind his viral speech at the 2024 Democratic National Convention.

Mayor Williams reflects on his journey—from music teacher to entrepreneur to public office—and shares how he and his wife, Zwelibanzi Moyo Williams, opened the first Zimbabwean restaurant in the U.S. with just $36,000 and a dream. He explains how those early entrepreneurial lessons now shape his work in public office, and what’s next for the City of Durham.