Jonathan Allen

Winston-Salem’s Weekend Warrior

Jonathan Allen is the weekend warrior who gets the most out of Winston-Salem, N.C. If you’re looking for him, try the food trucks, coffee shops, church, young professionals meetings, nonprofit organizations and almost any philanthropic board of directors.

“My running joke is I go to work to get a break from the weekend,” Jonathan shared.

When he graduated from Hampton University in Virginia, Jonathan headed back to his hometown and a career at Inmar, a tech and data company focused on making commerce smarter. It was a launching pad that felt familiar and welcoming.

“You can get lost in any city, but in Winston-Salem it’s easier to get involved. Our city is big enough that you can walk down Fourth Street every day and not see the same person twice, but it’s small enough to where each of us, as local citizens, can really make an impact on the culture.”

One of Jonathan’s favorite places actually is his workplace. The Innovation Quarter is Inmar’s home base and a unique district with 170-plus companies, five academic institutions and several creative spaces. The area captures the entrepreneurial and cultural spirit of the city.

“One of the many things that makes us different is our focus on the arts. There’s also an intentional focus on entrepreneurship. We don’t take the title ‘city of arts and innovation’ lightly,” Jonathan said.

In addition to his church, St. Paul, where he leads technology and music ministries on each Sunday, Jonathan is active with Winston-Salem’s Love Out Loud. The faith-based nonprofit partners with 200-plus local organizations to connect with and assist people who are looking to serve the community.

When he’s not feeding his soul, Jonathan explores Winston-Salem’s food truck culture or catches a favorite band live at one of many local venues. A new favorite place is Moji, a downtown coffee shop that hires special needs students.