We recently connected with Joni Holifield and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Joni thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?
HeartSmiles was born from the pain of the Freddie Gray uprising. Because I grew up in West Baltimore, 21217, the same neighborhood where the riots kicked off, it was personal to me. I was someone who grew up poor and hated my life, hated my community. but was fortunate enough to break the poverty cycle by climbing the corporate ladder. I was able to escape and completely turned my back on Baltimore, never giving a second thought to the community or people I left behind. I was almost 15 years into my amazing career when Baltimore City Police killed Freddie Gray and put my life into a different perspective. This is how HeartSmiles began.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
We are a nonprofit organization working with youth living in underserved communities. Our focus is on building their capacity as leaders and helping them gain economic self-sufficiency.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
After the Freddie Gray riots happened, I committed myself to the cause of supporting youth and with no knowledge of nonprofits, community, or youth I retired myself from my 6 figure career to start this new journey being part of the solution as it pertains to positive youth development.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
Just doing the work. I didn’t have a big agenda, any connections or a solid plan. I knew the impact I wanted to have on youth and the community and I started from there.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.heartsmilesmd.com
- Instagram: @heartsmilesmd
- Linkedin: Joni Holifield