Meet Jason Misrahi | Entrepreneur & Inclusivity Advocate

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jason Misrahi and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jason, how do you think about risk?

Risk-taking has gotten me very far; although I’ve never looked at it as risk taking, I’ve looked at it as choices. As a person with a disability (Cerebral Palsy) the world or the people who influence your world put limitations on you. I can say that I am very fortunate because my family shielded me from a lot of that. I was taught from a young age that the world wasn’t going to change for me. I had a choice to stay within the lines and accept the limitations that I was told by the school system and the doctors or push through and see how far I could go. I am not blind to the fact that I have limitations but everybody does, you can just see mine. I was mainstreamed by the school system at age 7 with the help of my mother, my parents had to fight hard to get me the resources I needed. I even played basketball in a youth league which I wouldn’t do again if given the choice, but I had to see how far I could go. There were successes and failures, just like Stitch Street, my rock and roll t-shirt company. My business life and my personal life have had parallels. I was told I’d never go to college, I’m college educated. I was told I’d never marry, I married the love of my life. I can say a lot about my life, but what I am most proud of is that I learned how to live, or rather, to be alive.

I was a real estate broker in Manhattan and when covid hit I realized that I wanted an easier and more fulfilling life, so we found Greenville, SC, the land of opportunity, and a fresh start. I took time to decompress and with no knowledge of e-commerce and the retail business, I jumped in headfirst. Along the way there have been growing pains, failures, and successes. I realized during an entrepreneurship class at Furman University that the reason I sell music t-shirts is because music helped me make friends and not feel like an outcast, and I love sharing that, but I want to give more.

The disabled community is the largest minority in the country and we are swept under the rug. I had to explain to some very bright people that I was a minority, life is funny like that. I am now looking to build upon my t-shirt brand and make Rock and Roll mobility aids. We are early in the process of creating our prototype but just like your musical tastes grow your need for mobility aids grow and we are in the development stages of creating a Stitch Street walker, The Stitch 1. A kid or teen should have the option to use a cool walking aid instead of the one they give you at the hospital which is just made of plain metal. It’s the same walker they gave me this past year when I had some health setbacks.

Bridging the gap between a cool rock t-shirt and a cool rock mobility aid is a risk, but they are both part of Stitch Street’s mission to create community and to share something that expresses who you are and makes you feel accepted in the process.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?

I got to where I am today by failing and every time I did I learned something. There would be small wins every time and little nuggets of gold in each failure, which led me to tweak things and think differently and finally figure out the purpose of Stitch Street. I sell Rock and Hip Hop t-shirts because that was my way to not be Jason the disabled kid, I was Jason the music guy. I’m bringing Rock and Roll to Mobility aids because Jason the disabled kid was more than enough and I want a disabled child, teen or adult to feel that they have something cool of their own.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I live in Greenville, so I’d show them Falls Park and take them for ice cream at Spill the Beans. If it fell on First Friday, I’d take them to meet all the artists and show them the communal vibe of the art scene. I’d take them for dinner at The Trappe Door and order them an excellent old fashioned. If they want the best food in Greenville with the friendliest owners, I’d take them to Asada for a Burrito. For coffee I would take them to my favorite spot, Bridge City.

My friends like food and drinks, so it’d be effortless; I’d take them downtown, and we’d have food and drinks down there, and for a different vibe, we’d go to the West Village, and of course stop by Gather GVL at some point.

My friends would most likely come from NYC. So it’s not where I would take them; it’s more what I would show them. People support each other here; you don’t see that in Manhattan. When someone says hello to you here, they don’t want anything from you; it’d be a culture shock.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My Family, they never let my limitations define me

My Wife Erikka Misrahi, My Rock

My Best friend Steve Caputo, who’s an executive creative Director in NYC. He’s worked with everybody. He didn’t want me to write any of that he just said say I’m your friend. Fun Fact: He helped me come up with the name Stitch Street.

Dr. Natalie Morse Founder of For the Love of Grad: a company that helps dreamers and achievers find their ideal PhD program, get funding, and thrive.

Charlie: The owner of Teds Formal Wear on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, who helped me get into the rock and roll t-shirt business

Book: A More Beautiful Question

The Man in the Arena Quote by Theodore Roosevelt

The GVL Starts Program at Furman University

Website: www.stitchstreet.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stitchstreetoriginal

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-misrahi-580987170/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stitchstreetoriginal

Image Credits
Brand Photos by Anna Bullock