She Shall Speak Series

How can you define yourself beyond the confines of how others define you? Growing up Black and disabled in Hartford, Connecticut, Kayla Kelly (they/them) often faced pushback from peers and educators positing that they couldn’t be a leader or scholar. Tune in today to learn how Kayla reclaimed the power of their story and used it to serve their community through their grassroots organization, Heal Da Homies. ABOUT KAYLA: Kayla Kelly (they/them) is a Washington, D.C.-based grassroots organizer originally from Hartford, Connecticut. In the fall semester of their freshman year of college, Kayla had founded Heal Da Homies, a multi-racial, mutual aid organization based in Washington, D.C. The organization was created to meet the needs of marginalized communities that are victims of systemic racism and inter-generational oppression due to food insecurity, housing, and gentrification. Heal Da Homies, in its two years of operation, has performed direct action to benefit D.C. residents, which included the following: organizing low-cost flea markets to clothe low-income residents, routinely distributing meals and groceries to encampments and residents, registering residents to acquire governmental benefits, and providing accessible political education to the public. Some highlights of this work involve facilitating workshops at universities such as Georgetown University and American University and a local youth community center about formulating alternative methods to policing and the gentrification of the city. Taking on a holistic approach in acquiring racial and class liberation, the organization has been involved in providing clinical care, hosting drug overdose trainings, self-defense classes, drafting policy proposals based on the needs of the community, and being part of a community emergency response network. Kayla’s bigger projects have been based in fundraising over $25,000 for re-housing unhoused D.C. residents, meeting the needs of incarcerated community members in the DMV area, and feeding families during the holidays. Kayla has extended their activism within their college environment as well. As a Legal Studies major within the Politics, Policy, & Law Scholars three-year B.A. program at American University, they have been awarded as an Annette Langdon Scholar-Activist, granted the 2021 Black Alumni Alliance Book Award, accepted into the Harvard Public Policy Leadership Conference, and received a university nomination for the Harry S. Truman Scholarship. They’ve organized numerous on-campus protests, formulated a partnership with the American University Antiracist Research & Policy, and recently presented their work in empowering Black D.C. residents to members of the United Nations at the UN Permanent Forum of People of African Descent roundtable. CONNECT WITH KAYLA: Instagram: @kayismagical Twitter: @kayismagicall LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kayla-kelly-617b5b164/ ABOUT SHE SHALL SPEAK: She Shall Speak is an organization dedicated to amplifying the intersectional narratives of Gen-Z Black girls and empowering them to pursue civic service, entrepreneurship, and social justice. We envision a world wherein those who are disproportionately impacted by social inequities are empowered with the resources and networks necessary to spearhead positive social change in their communities. Since our founding in February 2022, we have reached 400 girls across 25 US states and 20 countries. 🌎 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sheshallspeak/?hl=en Twitter: https://twitter.com/sheshallspeak_ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-she-shall-speak-series/ Anchor: https://anchor.fm/sheshallspeak

Have you ever struggled to respond to the following: "How are you doing… really, though?" Acknowledging one's emotionality and mental wellness can be challenging at times, especially for entrepreneurs and leaders. Today, we talked with Olamide Olowe, founder, and CEO of Topicals, to discuss her journey toward wellness and self-love as a successful entrepreneur. We talked about her journey toward creating Topicals, the significance of her Nigerian culture and the preservation of one’s cultural heritage, and advice for transgressing through the complexities of life. ABOUT OLAMIDE: Olamide Olowe is a recent graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles where she was a pre-Med student and received a B.A. in Political Science with a concentration in Race, Ethnicity, and Politics and a minor in Entrepreneurship. In 2015, Olamide co-founded the beauty brand SheaGIRL, in partnership with SheaMoisture. Sundial Brands, parent company of SheaGIRL, was later acquired by Unilever in 2017. Currently, Olamide is the founder and CEO of Topicals, a skincare company transforming the way people feel about skin through effective products for eczema and hyperpigmentation. Olamide is passionate about harnessing the power of culture, technology, and science to improve the relationship between women of color and the beauty industry. She has received notable recognition from Harvard Business School, Google, the PAC12, and the UCLA Alumni Association. CONNECT WITH OLAMIDE: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/olamideaolowe/?hl=en Twitter:https://twitter.com/OlamideAOlowe?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/olamideolowe/ Topicals: https://mytopicals.com/ ABOUT SHE SHALL SPEAK: She Shall Speak is an organization dedicated to amplifying the intersectional narratives of Gen-Z Black girls and empowering them to pursue civic service, entrepreneurship, and social justice. We envision a world wherein those who are disproportionately impacted by social inequities are empowered with the resources and networks necessary to spearhead positive social change in their communities. Since our founding in February 2022, we have reached 400 girls across 25 US states and 20 countries. 🌎 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sheshallspeak/?hl=en Twitter: https://twitter.com/sheshallspeak_ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-she-shall-speak-series/ Anchor: https://anchor.fm/sheshallspeak

How can you be your most authentic self in rooms where you feel compelled to change? Being the only Black women in the room is never easy. This week, we talked with Fatimata Cham, an activist, poet, and gender equality activist, to explore how to #BeBrave in all areas of life. We discussed her journey growing up in the Bronx, New York, discovering sisterhood in college, and how she uses her voice for social change. ABOUT FATIMATA: Activist. Poet. Gender Equality Advocate, Fatimata Cham is originally from the Bronx, New York, she is 21 years old and is a first-generation Gambian college student. She is a double major in Government and Law and Women and Gender studies. She is also a 2019 Coca-Cola scholar, Truman Scholar, and former girl up teen advisor to the United Nations Foundation. Fatimata is passionate about advocating for her community and does so through her writing. In high school, Fatimata published a short book of poetry titled Perfectly Imperfect. She uses the intersection between poetry and activism to talk about issues related to environmental injustice, gender inequity, racism, Islamophobia, and a plethora of issues she is passionate about. She is also the president of her college’s girl up and currently serves as Vice-President of Student Government. Recently, She was cast in Dear Season 2 on Apple TV alongside Malala Yousfzai. She hopes to build a more just and equitable world through her work and uplift those around her. CONNECT WITH FATIMATA: Instagram: fatimatacham__ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fatimata-cham-80420b15a ABOUT SHE SHALL SPEAK: She Shall Speak is an organization dedicated to amplifying the intersectional narratives of Gen-Z Black girls and empowering them to pursue civic service, entrepreneurship, and social justice. We envision a world wherein those who are disproportionately impacted by social inequities are empowered with the resources and networks necessary to spearhead positive social change in their communities. Since our founding in February 2022, we have reached 400 girls across 25 US states and 20 countries. 🌎 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sheshallspeak/?hl=en Twitter: https://twitter.com/sheshallspeak_ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-she-shall-speak-series/ Anchor: https://anchor.fm/sheshallspeak

How do you deal with failure? Do you preserve amidst such adversities? Do you feel hesitant or anxious about applying for future opportunities? Failure is never an easy feat to overcome– and it’s okay to admit that! This week, we talked with Jordan Ashley Greene, a nationally recognized learning differences advocate, author, and speaker, to discuss what it means to #FailForward. We talked about her experience attending the #1 HBCU in the United States– Spelman College– her journey toward self-love and acceptance, advice she would give her younger self, and her dreams for the future. ABOUT JORDAN: Learning differences advocate, leader, and national speaker are just a few words that describe young author, Jordan Ashley Greene. She is passionate about using her voice to speak up and help others, specifically kids with learning differences. She is on a mission to help the youth of today ‘embrace their differences.At the age of 12, Jordan authored her first book, My Gift of Difference: 7 Steps to Embracing Your Learning Differences. Her own frustrating and sometimes discouraging journey with a diagnosis of her own learning difference caused her to do research. She discovered over 6.6 Million kids in the United States were experiencing challenges with some of type of learning difference. Jordan became inspired to write a book, and launch a campaign that would help other kids embrace their learning differences and anything that made them different. This book lead to Jordan speaking on stages to hundreds of youth across the country including- The National Urban League Youth Conference, The National Kaleidoscope Conference with the Girl Scouts (Heart of the South), The Career in Athletics Conference at Dillard University, National Festival of Praise with Ambassador Shabazz and shared the stage with Mayor of Louisville, KY Greg Fischer. Jordan has published her second book, The Confidence Club. Her goal is to help girls across the world increase their confidence. Jordan is a first-year student at Spelman College focusing on education studies and law CONNECT WITH JORDAN: Instagram: @Jordanagreene LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordan-ashley-greene-39385923b/ Website: www.Jordanagreene.com ABOUT SHE SHALL SPEAK: She Shall Speak is an organization dedicated to amplifying the intersectional narratives of Gen-Z Black girls and empowering them to pursue civic service, entrepreneurship, and social justice. We envision a world wherein those who are disproportionately impacted by social inequities are empowered with the resources and networks necessary to spearhead positive social change in their communities. Since our founding in February 2022, we have reached 400 girls across 25 US states and 20 countries. 🌎 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sheshallspeak/?hl=en Twitter: https://twitter.com/sheshallspeak_ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-she-shall-speak-series/ Anchor: https://anchor.fm/sheshallspeak

Welcome back to The She Shall Speak Series! Today, we are featuring another episode in our HERstory series: a collection of stories of young Black women and girls who are leading the way for positive social change in their communities. Tune in today to learn more about Adriana Santiago, a queer, Latina, bi-racial, hard-of-hearing student-athlete who uses their platform to invoke change on the local level.

Welcome back to The She Shall Speak Series! Tune in today to learn more about Blessing Amhodu, an educator from Nigeria whose work focuses on children's development and teachers' effectiveness through the use of creative and innovative techniques for teaching. Blessing is the co-founder of the MCI initiative where she has trained over 25 individuals on how to be effective teachers.

Additionally, Blessing is an advocate for the empowerment of the girls and her community. She has volunteered for several organizations including Enactus where she is currently the project manager. Blessing is a 202 Ford Community Impact Fellow and member of the Girls Leading Our World (GLOW) Global Cohort. She ardently believes we can create a change in our environment through education.

Welcome back to the She Shall Speak Series! We are excited to kick off the tenth episode of HERstory, a collection of stories of young Black women and girls who are leading the way for positive social change in their communities. Tune in today to learn more about Nyasha Chivonivoni, a second-year student at the University of Cape Town, the top university in Africa, situated in South Africa. She is passionate about women's empowerment, artistic and creative expression, mental health, and technology.

Technology, finance, and commerce-related careers are broad. They are not just tools, gadgets, or a business or technological science but are inclusive of our arts, culture, and politics and are profoundly visible to us. That is why she is equally as passionate about women's empowerment as she is about business, technology, and the media space.

At school she is a part of WICS(Women in Computer Science), a student-led society focused on empowering women in the pursuit of a corporate career in tech and many other specialties. She is also part of Investoc, which is the largest and one of the most prestigious student societies in the country. It is an investment society that is committed to helping its members, especially its student members in bridging the gap between university and the working world. She is the Marketing coordinator of the RTLT(Read Today, Lead Tomorrow) program of SHAWCO Education, community development, and volunteer organization. Her passions extend beyond the academic world(Academia). She is passionate about the emancipation of women and professes to "eat, breathe and drink" stories of women who've endured and overcome trials and obstacles to triumph, women who have taken the difficulties and hardships of life and spun gold out of it like the Alchemist.

Having attended a girl school and having been raised by a strong maverick or a mother, she always finds herself gravitating toward packs of women. She among 1500 applicants was chosen to be a part of and one of the 50 young, female Change-makers and world leaders for the '22 GLOW Global cohort which is powered by Cantu Beauty and Women Empowering Nations.

She is a writer of poetry, mostly and enjoys brainstorming and executing ideas for creative and artistic projects and pieces for audiences. She has only just started touching the surface in terms of her passion and direction(s) in life and one is able to see her maverick mindset which cannot be contained and may be deemed unpredictable is what moves her as she is ready for constant growth and expansion in all spheres of life.

The world is her oyster.

Welcome back to the She Shall Speak Series! We are excited to kick off the ninth episode of our HERstory series, a collection of stories of young Black women and girls who are leading the way for positive social change in their communities. Tune in to learn more about Bethel Kyeza and her experience advocating for gender equality and girls' education in the United Kingdom and beyond! 

Bethel Kyeza is a gender equality and human rights activist from the United Kingdom. Bethel leads a United Nations Foundation Initiative Girl Up club and is the current Girl Up London Coalition Co-President, with a focus on expanding clubs throughout London. Bethel was also part of 2019-2020 class of Girl Up Teen advisors and she is passionate about women’s rights, politics, global development, and intersectional feminism. Some of her interests include film-making, where she participated in Disney’s Dream Big princess video series, and public speaking. Outside of her work with Girl Up Bethel has volunteered in India with WE Campaign and she is currently a youth delegate for YOUNGA, a youth ambassador for ONE campaign, and an advocate for rights to education. With a passion for education, Bethel started her own education initiative ‘Cultivate Global Education’ which focuses on education equity. Bethel hopes to enter the political field once she finishes University.

Welcome back to the She Shall Speak Series! We are excited to kick off the eighth episode of our HERstory series, a collection of stories of young Black women and girls who are leading the way for positive social change in their communities. Tune in to hear Kayla Austin-- an activist, author, inventor, and creative-- discuss her advocacy journey, her experience at Howard University, and advice she has for aspiring visionaries.  

Kayla Austin is an activist, author, inventor, and an overall creative. She is from the Chicagoland area and is a freshman Television and Film major at Howard University. Kayla graduated high school from Cranbrook Schools where she began to develop her love for photography.  As an innovator, she created her first invention in the third grade and graduated to a patent-pending invention to combat gun violence. She has combined her social justice and Girl Scout efforts to receive the prestigious Gold Award.  Kayla hosted several community forums with police officers, school officials, community leaders, and teens to cultivate conversations to promote gun safety.  In addition to this, she spent her senior year of high school on a mission to mobilize other youth to ignite their passions within social justice. She did this by authoring a book and website called “How to be a Teen Advocate”.  Not only is she the national spokesperson for the Shoot Film Not Guns initiative but has had speaking engagements for the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, Microsoft, Jack and Jill of America, and her local church. Kayla is a mentee of Black Girls Rock’s leadership program, a HERLead Fellow, a Foot Locker Scholar, and has won two Presidential Community Service awards. Her work within her community has led her to be recognized as an AT&T Dream in Black Rising Future maker. After graduation, Kayla plans to use her innovative ideas as a social entrepreneur.

Welcome back to the She Shall Speak Series! We are excited to kick off the fourth episode of our HERstory series, a collection of stories of young Black women and girls who are leading the way for positive social change in their communities. Tune in to hear us discuss Amina's advocacy journey, future plans, and her advice for gender equality activists. Learn more about Amina below! 

Amina Salahou is a graduate from Nottingham High School in Syracuse, New York. She is passionate about gender equality and racial equality, specifically education justice. Amina is currently a first-year student at Harvard. She is lucky to have the chance to collaborate with other passionate students. Amina is also a teen advisor alumn of Girl Up, a United Nations foundation that strives to promote gender equality. She co-founded the first Girl Up club at her high school and served as co-leader of her chapter. Along with her Girl Up club, much time was dedicated toward their campaign towards menstrual justice.

Welcome back to the She Shall Speak Series! We are excited to kick off the third episode of our HERstory series, a collection of stories of young Black women and girls who are leading the way for positive social change in their communities. Today, we will be talking with Ssanyu Lukoma!

Ssanyu Lukoma is a teenage entrepreneur, author, and public speaker.  In 2018, at 13 years old, she founded Brown Kids Read, a non-profit organization dedicated to motivating all children, but especially children of color, to read more diverse literature. Since then, she has created an online and pop-up bookstore called The Brown Reads Bookshelf and hosts a podcast called The Book Junkie. Most recently, she wrote a children’s picture book entitled Suubi's Sunny Smile through a publishing company she founded, Share a Smile Books. 

Suubi's Sunny Smile comprises prominent heritage and dental hygiene themes, but most importantly, has a vital anti-bullying message. She was compelled to write a story featuring Suubi, a main character of color, whose inspiring journey will show young readers that what makes us unique, can be our greatest strength.  

Additionally, She is a junior broadcaster and Junior Advisory Board Member for KiDz HuB Media Network, a member of the Homeschool National Honor Society, and she has been playing basketball for seven years.    She has also presented to corporations including Flywire and JPMorgan Chase about Teenage entrepreneurship, and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion.  Additionally, she presents goal-setting workshops for public high school students along with other workshops to help them stay motivated.   Her ultimate goal is to inspire and motivate others to leave a positive impact on the world!

Tune in to hear us discuss teenage entrepreneurship, the process of writing and publishing a novel, the importance of representation in literature, youth leadership, and more!

In honor of Black History Month and Women’s History Month, we are starting our “HERstory” series! “HERstory” aims to amplify the narratives of young Black women and girls who are catalyzing change in their communities. Our goal is to celebrate the strides of these young trailblazers and use their stories to inspire others to become a force of positive social change. Our first guest for "HERstory" is Madison Garrett! 

Madison Garrett is a 17-year old changemaker in her community. Dedicated to raising awareness, Madison uses her voice to create an impact for those who are underserved and unheard. When she is not creating a documentary centering the neglected, creating a presentation on societal issues for her founded Black student club, or serving those around her as a Girl Scout and President of the National Council of Negro Women, Madison can be spotted simply reading the philosophies of greats like DuBois.

Tune in to hear us discuss Black mental health, turning passion into purpose, college applications, and more! 

Welcome to the She Shall Speak Series! Join Denia (she/her) as she discusses the origins of the podcast, its intentions, and goals!