Marquas Ashworth

Founder and owner, Ziyad Rye; entrepreneur, Center at Sixth

Age: 34

Reasons he is a Forty: He developed the concept and raised capital for Center at Sixth. He launched Ziyad Rye whiskey, which is now in over 400 stores across the Midwest. He is the highest-selling indie hip-hop artist in Iowa history. He launched a digital production company that includes talks shows, congressional forums and more. 

What are your goals in your role at your company? Through my work as a distiller, I plan on opening my public tasting room and expanding our offerings of products and merchandise. I plan on making Ziyad Rye a nationally recognized brand based in the heart of Iowa.

What are your goals for your community involvement? My goal is to continue to grow and cultivate our Black and brown business sector, by creating pathways to success and prosperity.

What's your biggest passion, and why? My biggest passion is winning, and helping others win with me.

What is it that drives you? What motivates me is seeing the work make an impact, watching a vision come to fruition. There’s a rush that comes from being rewarded for patience and planning.

What are your future aspirations? Outside of continuing and expanding my work with Center at Sixth, I want to address the lack of homeownership in the Black community to help create a base of wealth for future generations.

Three hobbies: Moonshining. Making hand-cut vinyl records. Music.

Fun fact: I'm an anime fanatic, especially Naruto. 

One word to describe you: Persistent.

What is your wish for the Central Iowa business community? My wish is that the wisdom, kindness and sense of duty that I’ve encountered on this journey can be spread to others like me for years to come.

What's one piece of advice that you would give to a young professional? Conscious capital. It’s OK to make a profit; just make an impact, too.

What is one issue you would like to see Central Iowa leaders address? As a community, we should look for ways to address access in its various forms. When certain segments of our diverse population aren’t able to participate in wealth-building, whether it’s purchasing a home or small business loans, we hurt our entire ecosystem. Let’s find ways to grow Iowa from within, and the best way to do that is to invest within.