Algenon Cash has always had faith in his ability to succeed. He still has faith – and thinks we all may, in a certain way.

“If you survive 2020, whether you know you’re a person of faith or not, you are,” Cash said. But there’s more to it than just having faith. “You can’t just believe, right? You actually have to work at it.”

Cash grew up in Winston-Salem, graduated from North Carolina State University, and, eventually, became an investment banker with his own firm in his hometown.

Then, in 2017, he opened Zesto Burgers and Ice Cream on New Walkertown Road, not too far from where he grew up. After three years, he felt the store was really turning the corner. Then, the pandemic hit.

“At one point, I felt like so much was being taken from me,” Cash said. “And I think that’s probably the feeling of so many business owners in 2020.”

But, as the year aged, so did Cash’s perspective on it. He sees things differently now.

“2020 was just like this ground-shifting moment, I think, for so many people,” Cash said.

His restaurant is currently closed, but he’s working on plans to make it operational again. See his story in this Project 2021 report.