"Still Here."

The STC Dive Center

Steve Kitchen is a Black scuba diver and the owner of the STC Dive Center in Des Moines, Iowa.

Kitchen said he didn’t receive much help when he opened the dive center a decade ago. He did receive a loan from his mother. He paid that loan back within the first year. Kitchen’s business continues to grow with the help of Des Moines Area Community College and the Evelyn K. Davis Center.

Kitchen says that Black divers are a rare sight in the USA. With his program, I Tried Scuba, Kitchen and his team are making an effort to expose kids to scuba and the opportunities that the sport can bring.

STC is a one-stop, full-service shop for people who want to learn how to scuba dive or purchase gear. The Evelyn K. Davis Center and DMACC are helping Black-owned businesses like the Dive Center thrive. We’ll share more of these stories in the coming weeks.

A dollar spent at a local business turns over seven times in the community. @the_seventimes is a platform highlighting Black-owned businesses with a physical presence in their communities. Please support the initiative by following @the_seventimes on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

We also have to shoutout another one of our sponsors, SB Mobile Installations, for believing in our vision. Please visit sbmobileinstallations.com for more on their services.

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