Making a Way of No Way is a unique and inspiring success story, narrated by a
seasoned, practical and insightful African American man in a tone that is at once
authentic and philosophical. More than a mere autobiography, this book details the
life and experiences of a child born to a working-class Black family in Chicago's
West Side during the 1940s. The crucible of his family and Chicago's South Side
community produced a young man who, against long odds, attended and graduated
from DePaul University, ultimately earning an MBA in finance.
His career in banking is a testament to his courage and commitment to breaking
through racial barriers and redefining possibilities for those who would follow. He
has been an inspiring example as one of the first Black Executive Vice Presidents
at Wells Fargo Bank and one of the very few black senior executives in the country
running a major financial institution's corporate and institutional banking business.
Mr. Grisham was also one of the country's first banking executives to create and
run multicultural community banks.
It is also a personal story, involving struggle, pain, loss and renewal, with a good
dose of literary musing, philosophy and a move to Oakland, California, where he
made many good friends who continue to influence and support him. In Oakland,
he lost Jane, his dedicated wife, dedicated mother and grandmother of his children
and grandchildren, and his partner of 50 years, to cancer, and in time he found an
inspiring, passionate and brilliant professor and author in Dr Paulina Rosa Van,
who is his wife and partner today.
