First Black-owned stock exchange hopes to help people build wealth [Video]

(NewsNation) — Many in the United States share the American Dream: work hard, retire and leave a legacy of generational wealth. But for many Americans, that dream is still unattainable.

One of the largest roadblocks to wealth building is lack of access — and this hits marginalized communities the hardest.

Joe Cecala, founder and CEO of Dream Exchange, and his business partner Dwain J. Kyles wanted to change that, so they started the first Black-owned stock exchange. A stock exchange, according to Investopedia, is where financial instruments are traded, as well as where stock buyers connect with sellers.

“We help to form capital, we help people reach the public markets,” Cecala said on “NewsNation Live” Monday. “We also regulate how the buying and the selling of stocks is done every day.”

Dream Exchange began after Cecala and Kyles saw a lot of the problems smaller, minority-owned businesses were having.

“It’s …