It was Mea Boykins’ passion for working with the community and charitable organizations that led her in 2009 to become the founder and of the Student Emergency Assistance Scholarship. After awarding 5 scholarships, starting in her Senior year of college, Mea was motivated to launch a nonprofit called Student Emergency Assistance, Inc.  Staying true to her humanitarian spirit, in 2013, Mea commenced her first international Masters degree in at Kings College London in Child Psychiatry. After working in the field of Psychology for one year, Mea decided that she wanted to pursue another international degree and enrolled in the University of San Francisco’s Masters of Global Entrepreneurial Management, where she studied at 3 schools across Spain, Asia and California. While working on her second Masters degree, Mea travelled to 16 countries, continued public speaking and managing S.E.A., Inc.  In 2016, Mea received recognition for her global humanitarian work in the form of an “Outstanding Achievement Award” by Rev. Jesse Jackson at Rainbow Push Coalition’s 45th annual international conference. Mea’s work has been recognized in well‐ known publications such as Black Enterprise, Black Celebrity Giving, HBCU Buzz, Hello Beautiful, The Gambit & more both nationally and internationally.

B. Alyssa Trofort is a sports and portrait photographer and videographer, based in Los Angeles. Going the formal route, she decided to attend Virginia Commonwealth University, the #1 public university for school of the arts, where she not only received a great education but participated in numerous opportunities including an internship at People Magazine. After receiving her BFA in 2013, she moved to Atlanta where she began assisting celebrity and commercial photographers including Derek Blanks. She became a full time photographer in 2015 and has had the opportunity to have her work published and featured with Finish Line, NBAtv, American Family Insurance, Rolling Out Magazine, Uptown Magazine, Estetica Hair Magazine, and many more. She believes you will never work a day in your life when you do what you love, and she’s honored to have the opportunity to be inspired by her subjects that are striving to be their best selves.

Age: 27

Nana Kwamena Takyi-Micah created Micah Specialty Foods in 2014 after realizing a gap in the market for African food products in American grocery stores. He started off with Supreme Sauce, a highly versatile marinade that can also be used as a salsa, a marinara and a cocktail sauce. His fellow Ghanaians refer to it as “stew” in a bottle because of its use as a base to make jollof rice cutting the preparation time to only twenty minutes instead of 45 minutes to 1 hour depending on the method used. Supreme Sauce is in over 100 different grocery stores and farmer markets in five states across the country. Micah Specialty Foods will also be launching Meg’s Sumptuous plantain chips before the end of 2018.

Age: 27

Malik is an artist, entrepreneur, event coordinator, branding specialist, and creative consultant. At a young age Malik taught himself Adobe Suite and used it to create a graphic design business, which is still running.In addition to creating custom pieces/shoes, owning a locally respected clothing brand, and help others build their own brands, he has created clothing and custom shoes for celebrities and high interest clientele. Malik is the founder & director of a much raved Event Series, Serene Culture. Under his leadership they have had two sold out shows. Lastly, he is also the Co-Founder and a leading Manager at a new workshop studio & venue called Workshop RVA.

Age: 21

Sara Mwamlima was born In Norfolk, Virginia to missionary parents. Although her parents missionary work took her to various countries, Sara always made her way back to Norfolk. She was involved in several non-profits her  whole life before she started her own. As a result of having been involved in several non-profits during her formative years, Sara started her own organization, Backpacks for Africa, at the age of 22. Backpacks for Africa focuses on improving the overall educational environment in rural countries in Africa by starting with the most basic essentials such as school supplies. Since 2014, they have distributed over 500 backpacks and have helped to fix up and reconstruct an orphanage. The organization also provides academic scholarships for students who are excelling in their course of study.

Age: 26

Lauren Daniels is a proud HBCU Graduate of Miles College. She most recently obtained her MBA from Wayne State University in May. Lauren is a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. who enjoys being a church youth leader and working with college students. Lauren is the owner of Sumptuous Spirits, a full- service bartending company that provides services in Michigan with recent expansion to the Chicagoland area. Since launching in 2016, Sumptuous Spirits has grown to a team of 20+ staff members; curating bar experiences for including Google, We Work, Alex and Ani, The Lip Bar, American Heart Association, Moose Jaw, and more.

Age: 28

Dr. Jarred Boyd was born and raised in Roanoke, Virginia. He now resides in Frederick, MD with his wife Marlea Boyd who is a Physician Assistant. Since high school he has had a strong interest in the anatomy and physiology of the human body. The ability to use neurological and musculoskeletal systems to influence performance and potential were always intriguing. As a result, Dr. Boyd attended Virginia Commonwealth University earning a B.S. in Exercise Science. Now, a Doctor of Physical Therapy, Athletic Trainer, Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and Board Certified Sports Clinical Specialist, Jarred is a Sr. Performance Physical Therapist at Rehab 2 Perform a sports and performance oriented physical therapy clinic.

Age: 28

Courtney Grady is an emerging youth engagement coach located in the Metro Detroit area. She is the founder of Unique Sisters all girls mentor program serving a diverse group of young ladies between the ages of 8-17 years old. She received both her Bachelors of Science in Organizational and Public Relations and Masters of Science in Public Administration from Central Michigan University. As a Detroit Education Intervention Specialist she specializes in analyzing individual student data, and providing targeted tutoring services to those students who are not performing at academic grade level.  Through her work in the community her only wish is to leave an impacting footprint for those generations to follow.

Age: 30

Dr. Shantell Malachi is an award winning entrepreneur and community leader. As the Founder of  Dress for Success® Central Virginia, an internationally recognized nonprofit, Shantell leads programming that empowers more than 250 women annually to move towards self-sufficiency through professional development and entrepreneurship. In addition to leading Dress for Success, Shantell serves as the Principal Consultant for Nonprofitability, a boutique consulting firm equipping nonprofits and faith based organizations with tools and practices that promote sustainability. Always keeping community service at the forefront of her work, Shantell currently sits on the Board of Directors for Children Incorporated and Oakwood Arts.

Age: 36

Shaneisha Dodson was born in Arkansas and currently resides in Texas. She is the founder of Black Girlz Productions. Dodson holds a BA in psychology (Grambling State University), MA in counseling (Dallas Baptist University), and an Ed.S in education (Walden University). Dodson has won numerous awards to include 2018 WDIB Honoree for her contributions in entrepreneurship & women empowerment, Top 25 Women in business by Courageous Magazine, and 2017 Best theatrical presentation by the NYC success in the arts awards. In her spare time, she enjoys writing, cooking, and spending time with loved ones.

Age: 36