Charlotte, North Carolina, which features one of the nation’s largest Black populations, will host a weekend-long conference focused on expanding homeownership and building generational wealth.
The second annual WorthWealth Conference heads to Charlotte for the first time on April 24 and 25. The weekend focuses on financial literacy and asset ownership. Organized by BrightUp Inc., the two-day event aims to expand homeownership and generational wealth by providing practical, actionable tools with a special focus on asset ownership, wealth building, and AI.
“Come one, come all. You can be a first-time home buyer, where you learn about the up to $80,000 that’s available for first-time home buyers and down payment assistance,” Valerie Mosley, CEO of BrightUp and the visionary force behind WorthWealth, told BLACK ENTERPRISE. “And the other is up to $17,000 in cash going towards your closing costs.”
Mosley launched WealthWorth as a multi-city tour in honor of her grandmother, saying her faith inspired her to stay intentional about helping people recognize their worth and build their wealth.
The conference, designed as an in-person experience created to sharpen financial skills and connect attendees with industry experts, is built on four pillars: Self-Worth, focused on confidence and mindset; Financial Fluency, centered on practical money management; Innovation, exploring how AI and technology are reshaping wealth building; and Community, aimed at fostering networks that support generational wealth.
Day one, taking place at Johnson C. Smith University, is all about financial literacy gains and will feature a financial and career empowerment program offering
tools to grow assets and advance careers; a networking session connecting attendees with professionals across industries; and an AI podcast and brand monetization workshop focused on using AI tools while building a strong personal brand.Day two serves as the Homebuying and Activation Summit hosted at Park Church, which will focus on building generational wealth and include access to certified housing counselors for guidance on homeownership, credit, and budgeting, and a homeownership activation aimed at strengthening families and communities.
“We’re going to talk about ways that you can get into the real estate game, whether it’s your first home or your investment property,” Mosley said.
From a Credit Readiness and Path to Purchase workshop to one-on-one counseling with lenders and partners like Navy Federal Credit Union, Arrive, and Loan Study, the homeownership readiness day is designed to show attendees that “you aren’t just your credit score—you’re much more,” Mosley said.
“We have products that will allow you to buy your second home with no money down, which is unheard of,” she said.
Local leaders will take center stage, including retired NASA astronaut Joan Higginbotham, CEO of Xtreme Solutions Inc.; Phyllis Newhouse, who made history as the first Black female CEO to ring the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) opening bell for a Special Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC) IPO; President of Johnson C. Smith University, Dr. Valerie Kinloch, and Dr. Bernard Harris Jr., Astronaut, Physician & Venture Capitalist, who made history as the first African-American to walk in space, and private equity chairman, among many others. Together, this powerhouse lineup of speakers will share strategies for building wealth and expanding ownership opportunities.
“I think that’s why it’s really exciting because, as you know, the discrepancies between home ownership, between Black and whites, have been a gap for so long,” Mosley said. “And now we want to make sure that people can get into the home and sustain being in the home.”
RELATED CONTENT: Black-Owned Charlotte Daycare Goes Viral For ‘Highly-Rated’ In-Home Childcare Experience