People-First Tourism Lab Blog

This past week I was fortunate enough to be graced by the presence of the one and only, Krystal DaMuse. Krystal is the textbook definition of a Renaissance Woman. Her positively infectious personality has allowed her to advance into the world of event planning, producing, and hosting. Before breaking into her entrepreneurial role, she worked a 9 to 5 job in the fortune 500 arena. Her experiences in corporate America taught her to be business savvy, giving her the confidence to step away and pursue her aspirations.  First and foremost, Krystal is a speaker, but she is also a doer. She has worked on a plethora of projects, such as selling her own merchandise at The Black Flea Market in Raleigh, NC, and hosting open mic nights showcasing premier poetry at City Soul Café. The Black Flea Market is a bi-weekly pop-up market featuring an array of local Black entrepreneurs and their products, live music, and home-cooked food. The market’s mission is to keep “circulating the Black dollar an...

Ninja Cow Farm, owned and operated by Dan Moore, is a sustainable livestock operation in Raleigh specializing in Angus cattle and heritage bred pigs. The 84-acre parcel of land has been in Dan’s family since 1980, and his father’s side has a history of farming in North Carolina dating back to the 1790’s. Farming was a significant part of Dan’s upbringing and it continues to shape his family’s legacy.   Today, Dan carries on his family tradition with the help of his wife and their three children. Running this popular farm has proven to be a family affair that requires all hands on deck. Dan’s son has been the designated tour guide since he was 12 years old, while his daughters have worked as store cashiers since they could count change. Together, they work hard to provide for themselves and their community, all the while practicing environmental stewardship.   Dan touts that Ninja Cow is a “hippie-farm,” with everything they do being environmentally friendly. Yet life on th...