Black-owned construction firm founder reflects on legacy of building part of Obama Center

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Nosa Ehimwenman, founder of BOWA Construction, says one of the world's first projects of its scale led by a Black-owned construction company represents more than a building.

For him, Home Court at the Obama Presidential Center is the culmination of two decades of using construction projects to transform communities.

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Years after winning the bid for the project, Ehimwenman recently experienced Home Court from a different perspective, not as its builder, but as someone enjoying the finished space.

When asked whether it was "kind of cool to shoot on the court he built," Ehimwenman replied, "It is kind of cool."

Reflecting on the moment the project became reality, he said, "I jumped up, and then I sat down like, 'oh wow, this is real now. We got to go get it done.'"

Ehimwenman said he viewed the project from the outset as an opportunity to create a lasting impact. Pointing to preservation efforts at the site, he noted, "These trees are over 100 years old."

"Our construction did not destroy the history of Jackson Park but preserved it," he said.

The project incorporated sustainability features, including solar panels and geothermal pumps. But Ehimwenman said the building itself was only part of the legacy he hoped to create.

"We had women and minority-owned subcontractors and businesses, vendors and suppliers. Out of the dollars of this project, over 55 percent of those dollars went to those businesses," he said.

For Ehimwenman, success was defined not only by what was built, but by who helped build it. According to a 2025 Pew Research Center report cited in the project, less than 7% of U.S. construction companies are Black-owned.

"The color of my skin has never defined where we could go, how far we could go," Ehimwenman said. "But I also knew the reality of the industry."

A first-generation American and former Division I track athlete at Ohio State, Ehimwenman credits his parents for instilling the values that shaped his career.

"My dad drove a taxi in this town. My mother was a CNA. You just learn grit from both of them: integrity, honesty, hard work," he said.

That work ethic became the foundation of BOWA Construction and a broader mission that includes BOWA Gives, the company's nonprofit arm. His wife, Ashley Ehimwenman, co-founded the organization, which uses sports, education and construction programs to invest in young people.

Describing her husband's dedication, Ashley Ehimwenman said, "Would make dinner, let's say 7 o'clock. It would be covered sitting on the table or in the fridge. He wouldn't eat it till 1, 2 o'clock in the morning."

She said she recognized the same determination during their college years.

"I remember seeing that same grind in college. It's now just a new, almost a new sport," she said.

The couple has expanded their work from a small South Side office to a mission that has spanned 17 years. Their next goal is to convert that original office into affordable housing.

For the Ehimwenmans, each project is aimed at creating new opportunities and expanding possibilities for future generations.

"When they ask questions, 'who built this? Who built this?' They know that someone that looks like them not only became the president, but also constructed a facility like this," Nosa Ehimwenman said.