Fall 2022 Class
Kimberly Brown
Business
Kimberly Brown is a career + leadership expert whose mission is to help women and people of color navigate the workplace, make more money and become industry leaders. Her leadership development company, Manifest Yourself, LLC, provides organizations with tailor-made solutions to engage, develop, and advance women and people of color. Her work has been featured on The Wall Street Journal, NPR, Forbes, Blavity, MONEY Magazine, Essence Magazine, Business Insider, CNBC, Fox 5, and more. Her highly anticipated book, Next Move, Best Move: Transitioning Into a Career You'll Love, was released in June 2021.
Kinya Claiborne
Fashion / Lifestyle/Travel
Kinya Claiborne is an award-winning influencer/ content creator and the founder and editor-in-chief of STYLE & SOCIETY Magazine. A style influencer, TV host, entrepreneur, media maven and lifestyle expert with a major passion for all things communications-driven, she launched the Los Angeles-based online publication as a platform to celebrate the best of entertainment, fashion, lifestyle, travel, food and red carpet events globally. Kinya is also co-executive producer and TV host of The StyleList, a TV series delivering the latest lifestyle and and pop culture trends in a fast-paced and entertaining format on Watch ONX.
Anika Gandhi
DIY
Anika Gandhi is the creator behind Anika’s DIY Life where her goal is to inspire and empower beginners with woodworking, DIY, and home improvement ideas and skills. She wants everyone to break gender and cultural stereotypes and unlock their creative potential and experience the feeling that comes with making with their own hands.
Erica Ho
Travel
Erica Ho is the founder and CEO of Map Happy, a travel publication that arms travelers with the gear, tech, and info they need to get through and thrive at their destination. The site has reached 7 million readers since the beginning, and was invited to speak at The New York Times Travel Show twice. She has worked with KAYAK, Away, Monos, and the country of Japan and Portugal among others.
Monty Hudson
Travel
Monty Hudson is a blogger, content creator, and freelance writer based in Houston, TX. She is the voice behind her family travel website, TheSpringBreakFamily.com where she shares her family’s love of travel and history. Through her itineraries, budget hacks, and meaningful travel tips, she hopes to empower other families to explore the world with their children.
Jeff Jenkins
Travel / Food
Jeff Jenkins is an award-winning Travel/ Food Blogger, speaker, podcast host and Influencer based out of Austin, Texas. Jeff most recently is proud to add travel documentarian to his list of adventures as he stars in a show that explores diverse cultures, locations and overcoming fears, backed by National Geographic.
Ashley Renne Nsonwu
Travel / Sustainability / Tech
Ashley Renne Nsonwu is a Black and South Asian environmental activist, vegan mom and co-founder of Hot Jupiter, a pro-planet multicultural skin health company. As an advocate for POC, the planet and animals, she shares daily inspiration for vegan families, plant-based menu ideas for kids, sustainable lifestyle tips, and also documents life inside her solar-powered smart home, as well as her electric car family road trips.
Olivia Christine Perez
Travel / Wellness
Olivia Christine Perez is a travel and wellness expert and full-time content creator empowering women and BIPOC communities to live well, travel more, and get outdoors for their wellness. A lupus advocate, author, speaker, and online course instructor, Olivia has been featured on OWN, CNN, CNBC Make It, Travel+Leisure, The Oprah Magazine, and more.
Melissa Teng
Travel / Lifestyle / Photography
Melissa Teng, also known as Wit and Folly, is a content creator, photographer, and founder of witandfolly.co, a travel and lifestyle blog focused on providing readers in-depth guides to travel, style, and photography resources. Melissa portrays her work the way she chooses to see the world: in full color with a touch of whimsy, and is known for her dreamy and escapist style of travel imagery. She has worked with major travel and lifestyle brands such as Marriott, Visa, and AirBnB. Through her work, she hopes to inspire others to pursue creatively and to choose authenticity over approval.
Amy Stretten
Fashion / Culture
Amy Stretten is a bilingual, Black / Indigenous, queer Femme, journalist + cultural fashion content creator. Through her highly successful body positive, cultural fashion brand, The Chief of Style, Amy uplifts and inspires people of all shapes and sizes to love themselves and their bodies exactly as they are, and adorn themselves accordingly.
Bethany Yellowtail
Fashion
Bethany Yellowtail is a fashion designer and the founder of LA based apparel brand B.Yellowtail. She is a member of the Northern Cheyenne Nation, and was proudly raised in the Mighty Few District of the Crow Nation. Centered in community and culture, her artistic and business endeavors seek to empower her people and share authentic Indigenous design with the world.
Art by Nichole Washington