Multicultural Entrepreneurs
You Should Know Kevin Gatlin/
Nesha Pai/
Bol’s Books
Playtime Edventures
Pai CPA
By John Burton
By Lelita Cannon
KEVIN GATLIN, 49, sits at the helm of Playtime Edventures, a Charlottebased company seeking to lift the spirits of sick children everywhere one bed at a time. Playtime Edventures creates children’s bedsheets and slumber bags imprinted with interactive and educational games. The idea began in 2012, after Gatlin visited a friend’s son in the hospital who spent many hours in bed. “What if that was my child?” Gatlin asked himself as he drove home. After researching and consulting with local educators, Gatlin launched Playtime Edventures in 2014. The interactive bed sheets come in three colors, five different languages, and have more than 60 games for kids to explore, play, learn or sleep with while they heal. The North Carolina State University alum’s product has resonated with the masses. Playtime Edventures has been featured on HSN, QVC, CNN and Good Morning America’s “Deals and Steals” segment when they filmed in Charlotte. During GMA, Gatlin received a $10,000 check on behalf of Vistaprint to fulfill his mission of putting Playtime bedsheets in children’s hospitals and other organizations across the country. Playtime Edventures has amassed more thanr 30 million views with stories making them a viral sensation. Still, Gatlin’s solitary goal is to get bedsheets for children in hospitals. “I want to reach all children but especially those who are ill or even displaced,” he said. After an initial donation of 64-bed sets to the Salvation Army’s Center of Hope shelter in Charlotte, Playtime Edventures has expanded to 25 hospitals, four children’s shelters, hospices and orphanages in and out of the U.S.
NESHA PAI launched Pai CPA, an accounting firm serving the small business sector, in 2011 when she was 40. Her clients include independent entrepreneurs to companies with up to 50 employees. She set out to create a team hiring stay-at-home moms with a model built on remote work, and her company is thriving! Over 40 businesses rely on her practice for their accounting needs. Pai, who is a certified public accountant and earned her bachelor’s degree in accounting, was recently honored as one of the most influential women of 2020 in the Mecklenburg Times. Two of her mentors nominated Pai for the award, and she was selected based on her professional accomplishments, as well as her performance as an effective leader. “In these 10 years, I’ve accomplished a lot, and I deserve this award,” she said. “It was the right time to be awarded to me because I realized I earned this.” Her vision for the future includes selling her firm in 10 years, ramping up her speaking engagements, touring with her book and spending time on the beach. Pai believes that women can continually reinvent themselves, and she has done just that. Her book “Overcoming Ordinary Obstacles,” is based on her personal journey of being a firstgeneration Indian woman born in the South. The book is available on Amazon.com or her website neshapai.com.
By Ryan Kouame
BOL B. MAYWAL is a scholar, leader, author, former United States Army officer and the founder of Bol's Books. Maywal was born in Khartoum, Sudan during the second Sudanese civil war and grew up in the U.S. where he currently lives in Charlotte. Maywal recently published his first book, “A Mother’s Promise,” to offer love, hope, tenacity and a fresh perspective on the American dream. The book is based in an idyllic village in southern Sudan where his mother fled from during the second Sudanese civil war to the United States where she found refuge. Maywal paints a vivid picture of his mother whose faith, hope, and love overcame every hardship and adversity that she encountered. Maywal established Bol's Books LLC last August, and people can purchase his books from his online bookstore, Bol's Books LLC (www.BolMaywal.com). Buyers will receive authentic autographs from Maywal and his mother. Maywal served 12 years in the United States Army as a deputy commander and NATO Peacekeeper in Kosovo working with disadvantaged families and community leaders to help build partnerships and alliances between the locals and NATO. As a leader, Maywal has spoken at numerous schools, rotary events, and other events to inspire people and provide an environment of peace, security, freedom and growth for generations to come. Maywal earned his bachelor’s degree in political science with a minor in military science from Belmont Abbey College and his master’s degree in peace, conflict and development at the University of Bradford in England. He also holds a certificate in economics and peace from the United States Institute of Peace.
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Photo courtesy of Playtime Edventures
Bol B. Maywal/
Charlotte Multicultural Resource Magazine | www.pridemagazineonline.com
