We are excited to invite Keva Brooks Napper to the mic. For a total of 18 years, Keva has been thriving through Lupus and desires to see others battling any invisible illness do the same. To this end, she founded Beautiful Butterflies Inc., a nonprofit foundation used to bring awareness and education on Lupus and other illnesses. She often says, “I can't eradicate illness but I can help eradicate the pain of it,” and shapes her endeavors with this in mind. 

Keva’s academic repertoire includes a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education with a minor in English from North Carolina Central University. Throughout the years, she has received many awards for her service and brilliance as a community leader. Some of those honors include Teacher of the Year, Guilford County’s Reader’s Choice Best Writer, Women in Organizing — Sheroe Award, and ACHI Non-Profit Executive Director’s Award.

In this episode, we will discuss the following the lack of representation in Lupus community groups, Keva’s discovery of having an invisible illness, and starting a nonprofit organization from your passions & not something emotionally driven.

If you are a woman of color who is interested in learning more about the Nonprofit Sistas community or you're looking for a community to support you throughout your journey as a nonprofit leader, please visit our site at www.nonprofitsistas.com.

Find me on Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn, and don't forget to follow the Nonprofit Sistas podcast.

We are excited to invite Anicia Manassa to the mic. Anicia has worked as a Sign Language Interpreter for over 8 years providing American Sign Language and English Interpretation to consumers on-site and virtually in multiple settings. It is Anicia's intention to maintain professionalism while providing Interpreting services to remove communication barriers for all individuals involved. 

Anicia is the founder of  Secure Interpreting Solutions (S.I.S). As the founder of S.I.S., her passion is empowering Interpreters of Color to achieve their goals confidently, despite limitations others have set for them. Anicia’s ultimate goal is to educate others on how to create a more equitable field in Sign Language Interpreting by removing racial boundaries. 

Anicia is a wife and a mother of 3 exceptional children. In her spare time, she enjoys hanging out with loved ones and trying new experiences.

In this episode, we will discuss the following reflecting on the representation of language interpreters, the feeling of being the only person of color in a niche area or industry, and what a perfect world could look like with communication and ASL.

If you are a woman of color who is interested in learning more about the Nonprofit Sistas community or you're looking for a community to support you throughout your journey as a nonprofit leader, please visit our site at www.nonprofitsistas.com.

Find me on Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn, and don't forget to follow the Nonprofit Sistas podcast.

We are excited to invite Ann-Marie Swatson to the mic. She is the founder of Painted Pink, a nonprofit organization that seeks to fill the gap between young women and breast health education.

In 2011, Ann-Marie found two painful lumps in her breasts that resulted in two lumpectomies. Though her diagnosis came back negative for cancer, the feeling of helplessness never left her. Throughout her experience, Ann-Marie noticed a severe lack of resources available for young adults to advocate for themselves. Being planted in the reality of women’s health and the disparities, Ann-Marie desired to create a platform that helped young women advocate for their health.

Ann-Marie’s personal experience with breast cancer inspired her to create a nonprofit organization that would advocate for women’s health. After spending time researching breast cancer data for Georgians, she noticed some alarming statistics. 

Ann-Marie heard various stories about women and their experiences with breast cancer. Over time, she learned that women in their twenties and thirties with no family history of breast cancer, and who did not meet the standard criteria for breast cancer risk, were more commonplace than anticipated.

Painted Pink gives voice to an underserved group of young breast cancer survivors that need resources from healthcare professionals and education on consciously making better lifestyle choices for their health in beauty, food, and exercise choices.

In this episode, we will discuss the importance of breast health awareness and education, how someone’s beauty products or routines can affect their health, and making the right decisions to ensure the longevity of the organization.

If you are a woman of color who is interested in learning more about the Nonprofit Sistas community or you're looking for a community to support you throughout your journey as a nonprofit leader, please visit our site at www.nonprofitsistas.com.

Find me on Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn, and don't forget to follow the Nonprofit Sistas podcast.

We are excited to invite Kenisha Dennis to the mic. Since the age of 16, Kenisha has dedicated her efforts to helping Black girls see just how bright their futures have the potential to be. As a product of the magic that occurs when community leaders build programs that empower Black youth, Kenisha is establishing a world where every Black girl has access and exposure to free educational programming that ignites a desire to dream big.

From her experiences as a first-generation Jamaican-American, growing up in Queens, NY, came a desire to explore solutions that dismantle socio-economic barriers faced by Black women and girls. That desire soon became the origin of Black Girls Can Incorporated.

Since its inception, Black Girls Can Incorporated has redefined what access looks like for Black girls in America by providing an immersive, holistic curriculum that encourages high scholastic achievement, leadership development, and wellness. With its intentional programming, Black Girls Can Incorporated is equalizing the playing field– creating a safe space for Black girls to be seen, heard, and recognized. 

By day, Kenisha works as a results-driven marketing leader and brand storyteller at Meta. She holds over 10 years of experience developing strategies that optimize and drive business objectives and revenue. Kenisha obtained a Master’s degree in Public Relations and Integrated Marketing from Georgetown University and a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from the University of Bridgeport.

In this episode, we will discuss how working in the STEM space has boosted her organization’s work, getting organized and creating a strategic plan to establish a succession plan, and the tough experiences that caused setbacks and what lessons were learned.

If you are a woman of color who is interested in learning more about the Nonprofit Sistas community or you're looking for a community to support you throughout your journey as a nonprofit leader, please visit our site at www.nonprofitsistas.com.

Find me on Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn, and don't forget to follow the Nonprofit Sistas podcast.

We are excited to invite Briana Daniel to the mic. Autumn of 2013, while out on a jog, Briana Daniel ran face to face with the harsh reality of the issue of homelessness in Orlando. 

At the age of 21 years old, Briana had the desire to help but knew little about the homeless populations, the problems that they had, and how to best get involved. She decided to spend more than a month living on the streets to find out which needs were not being addressed.

Briana slept outside, spoke with the homeless about their lives, and learned what was needed most. She came away from the experience realizing that one simple thing most homeless people craved was the dignity that came along with cleanliness. Briana founded Street Team Movement Inc. to provide hygiene services to those experiencing homelessness. 

Street Team Movement Inc. provides laundry services to the homeless, and hygiene items are distributed through their Hygiene Vending Machines. The machines are accessible for free to the homeless through the Hope Card which is a special access card allowing the homeless a limited number of transactions per week. 

To date, Street Team Movement has washed almost 20,000 loads of laundry, given over 500 haircuts, assisted in providing 277 showers, and given out over 1 million hygiene items. Since launching the Hygiene Vending Machines, in 2020, Street Team washes 87 loads of laundry per week (at one location) and has given out almost 5,200 hygiene items.

In this episode, we will discuss listening to your target audience before taking action, the motivation behind Briana’s attempt to do more to help those who are homeless, and how volunteers' involvement has an impact on their lives as well as the organization.

If you are a woman of color who is interested in learning more about the Nonprofit Sistas community or you're looking for a community to support you throughout your journey as a nonprofit leader, please visit our site at www.nonprofitsistas.com.

Find me on Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn, and don't forget to follow the Nonprofit Sistas podcast.

We are excited to invite Ambee Stephens to the mic. Ambee is the Founder and CEO of EmpowHERment, a women's community center committed to helping women rise through support services, support groups, and empowerment workshops. 

Ambee is passionate about the mission of EmpowHERment, which is…"Wanting to be empowered and around like-minded women is reason enough". Through EmpowHERment, she hopes to build a relationship with women that will serve as raw, long-lasting relationships with transparency and resilience at the core. 

Ambee holds two bachelor's degrees in community leadership and paralegal studies, a Master of Nonprofit Management from the University of Central Florida (UCF), and has recently obtained her fundraising certificate from UCF. Currently, she is attending UCF in pursuit of obtaining her Ph.D. in Sociology, which she hopes to use to educate women on starting a nonprofit while maintaining a work/life balance. In 2020, during a worldwide pandemic, Stephens managed to open a community center committed to helping women in Tampa Bay.

If you don’t remember anything else, take this quote from Ambee when you need it…"In a world full of paper chasers, be a purpose chaser. If you chase your purpose, the paper will follow".

In this episode, we will discuss the misconceptions others have about individuals supporting women, a valuable lesson learned as a nonprofit leader managing staff members, and learning to be open to receiving help while navigating transitions in life.

If you are a woman of color who is interested in learning more about the Nonprofit Sistas community or you're looking for a community to support you throughout your journey as a nonprofit leader, please visit our site at www.nonprofitsistas.com.

Find me on Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn, and don't forget to follow the Nonprofit Sistas podcast.

We are excited to invite Thana Hickman-Simmons to the mic. Thana is a former teen mother and the Founder/CEO of Viola's House. The inspiration for Viola’s House is very interesting, because Thana was once a young teen mother, just like some of the mothers that Viola’s House serves every day. She was fortunate enough to have support around her that made it easier for her to raise her children, but she knew not all young mothers share this same supportive experience when faced with early motherhood. When she began reaching out to the community to support these mothers, she began what is now known as Viola’s House and the Viola’s House Baby Benefit Boutique.  

Viola's House is a Maternity Home for teen mothers who are homeless and facing an unplanned pregnancy. Thana is also the founder of the Baby Benefit Boutique. The BBB currently has over 5,000 visits a month from mothers in the community that take pregnancy and parenting classes. Mothers receive vouchers to shop in the beautiful boutique in return for taking classes. Thana has found her greatest joy in serving homeless teen mothers as they transition from homelessness to self-sufficiency. 

In this episode, we will discuss how a supportive community can have a positive impact on mothers, the effects of generational trauma that may cause young women to experience sexual trauma and/or unplanned pregnancies, and the challenges of Black-led organizations in regard to gaining the funding needed to operate.

If you are a woman of color who is interested in learning more about the Nonprofit Sistas community or you're looking for a community to support you throughout your journey as a nonprofit leader, please visit our site at www.nonprofitsistas.com.

Find me on Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn, and don't forget to follow the Nonprofit Sistas podcast.

We are excited to invite Margaret Cowan to the mic. Margaret is the Founder of I Am My Sister's Keeper (IAMSK). She is the single mother of three amazing young ladies. Margaret completed her Associate's degree in 2020 and just (literally) completed her Bachelor's in Sociology with a minor in Nonprofit Management at the University of Memphis. 

Margaret recognizes the importance of community in the life of a single mom. Her mission is to create a village in which single moms live and support each other. It is her desire to use her God-given gifts and abilities, along with her lifelong lessons, to own a neighborhood full of homes occupied by single moms. In order to obtain a paid position and prepare for a successful future for IAMSK, Margaret has completed a variety of training events and classes. She is most proud of her completion of the Executive Director Bootcamp led by Momentum Nonprofit Partners and "Before You Ask" by the Assisi Foundation. Margaret enjoys reading, cooking, and spending time with her family and friends. She understands people, never meets a stranger, and is always willing to lend a helping hand.

In this episode, we will discuss learning how to be vulnerable and willing to accept help as a nonprofit founder, helping people to unlearn common misconceptions about single mothers, and the importance of not gatekeeping in the Black community.

If you are a woman of color who is interested in learning more about the Nonprofit Sistas community or you're looking for a community to support you throughout your journey as a nonprofit leader, please visit our site at www.nonprofitsistas.com.

Find me on Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn, and don't forget to follow the Nonprofit Sistas podcast.