#blackwomensparkchange
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Tenille Hunter Empowers Individuals Who Face Barriers to Independence
Tenille Hunter is the Chief Operating Officer for Central Arkansas Disability Services, a nonprofit that uses a people-centric approach to empower and support individuals with disabilities in every aspect of their lives. For more than 20 years, this organization has connected individuals with employment supports and community-based programs that support their highest level of independence. …
Aisha Nyandoro is changing the conversation around affordable housing and poverty
Aisha Nyandoro always knew she wanted to run a nonprofit organization. Pursuing her doctorate degree was a natural step in learning the right language and insider knowledge needed to be an effective leader in the nonprofit space. But when Aisha found herself working as a research analyst post graduation, not running a nonprofit, she knew…
Carol Torres is Passionate About the Power of Mentorship
Carol Torres is the director of the Human Service and Education Worker Training Fund, a nonprofit whose mission is to create high value professional development to benefit all bargaining unit members. “It’s a dream job that I didn’t have a dream for,” Carol explains. “The dream is the feeling that I get when I do…
Chantal Stevens Works to Transform Lives Through Education and Advocacy
Chantal Stevens is the Executive Director for the ACLU of North Carolina. This nonprofit affiliate focuses on racial justice, transforming the criminal-legal system, reproductive justice, LGBTQIA rights, immigrant rights and voting rights. Chantal has been in this role since February 2020 but it wasn’t a position she initially saw on her career path. Chantal left…
Joy Nelson Thomas is Helping At-Risk Girls Become Confident Community Leaders
Joy Nelson Thomas is the founder and executive director of LEAD Girls of NC, a nonprofit dedicated to helping at-risk preteen girls build self-confidence and gain the skills they need to be strong leaders in their community.Since its founding in 2015, LEAD Girls has helped more than 500 girls through evidence-based school and community programs. …
#BlackWomenSparkChange: Celebrating the First Year
Inspired by the racial justice uprisings of 2020, the inequity laid bare by the pandemic, and our commitment to anti-racism, we started the #BlackWomenSparkChange campaign in August of 2020. Our goal has always been to celebrate the stories, voices, and leadership of Black women in the nonprofit sector. Not only did the social climate of…
Andrea Copeland Sets a Standard of Excellence
When Andrea Copeland studied social work in college, she knew her future would be in macro-level work, navigating through complex systems that affect large communities. “I’m a policy nerd,” she says. “I want to make sure the policies we create and implement positively impact populations that we’re trying to target. My biggest goal as a…
Angela Patton Listens to What Black Girls Need, and Shows Up
When Angela Patton’s parents moved recently, her mother found a yearbook of Angela’s from high school. Fellow students had written, “You’re going to lead something one day” and “You’re going to change the world.” Angela had written that her goal was to make a difference in people’s lives. “I don’t remember feeling that way as…
Shemika Whiteside Wants to Help Women Thrive in Pregnancy and Beyond
As a New Year’s resolution in January 2021, Shemika Whiteside posted an idea on Facebook she’d been thinking about for years: a maternity program to help women in Louisville, Kentucky with housing, medical and mental health needs, birthing support, and social services. The response was incredible. Shemika heard from numerous people saying, “I’ve been waiting…
Chandra Clark is advocating for VHL patients on a global level
Chandra Clark is a self-described “late bloomer” who traveled a winding path into a career in nonprofits. Growing up, Chandra faced a lot of adversity and took on much of the responsibility for caring for her three younger siblings. Without a lot of guidance and support from adults in her life, she struggled to understand…