Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Sharde’ Plater. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Sharde’, thanks for joining us today. Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken.

When I look back over my life, one of the greatest risks I ever took happened when I was just 22 years old. It wasn’t a calculated decision. It wasn’t backed by savings, security, or a strategic plan. It was a step of pure faith.

At the time, I was living in Huntsville. Huntsville was home. It was familiar. It was safe. My world made sense there. But in the middle of that comfort, God began to stir something in my spirit that I could not ignore.

Through a prophet, I received a word that would change the trajectory of my life: I was to relocate to Dallas. Not visit. Not consider. Relocate.

Dallas was a place I knew nothing about. I didn’t have a proper job lined up. I didn’t know that I even had family there at the time. I didn’t have a safety net waiting for me. All I had was a word from God.

And the word was clear: either send for your things in Huntsville, or go back and get them—because this is where God wants you to be.

That moment made everything real. This wasn’t temporary. This wasn’t an experiment. This was obedience.

I would be lying if I said I wasn’t afraid. I was 22 years old, stepping into the unknown with no guarantees. Fear whispered questions late at night: What if you misheard God? What if you fail? What if you struggle and have no one to lean on?

But faith spoke louder.

Faith reminded me that if God gives the instruction, He will also provide the provision. Faith reminded me that obedience opens doors that logic cannot. So with trembling hands but a steady heart, I chose to trust Him.

The early days in Dallas stretched me in ways I never expected. There were moments of loneliness. Moments of uncertainty. Moments where I had to cling tightly to the very word that brought me there. But in the stretching, I was being shaped. In the uncertainty, I was learning dependence. In the unfamiliar, I was discovering who I truly was in God.

What I didn’t know then was that God had already gone before me. He had prepared connections. He had aligned opportunities. He had positioned growth that I could have never accessed had I stayed where I was comfortable.

Looking back now, I see that the risk wasn’t just moving from one city to another. The real risk was surrendering control. It was choosing obedience over explanation. It was trusting God’s voice more than my own understanding.

Without that step of faith at 22, I would not be who I am today. That move strengthened my trust in God. It deepened my faith. It built resilience in me. It taught me that sometimes all you need is a word from God and the courage to say yes.

I thought I was leaving home.

In reality, I was walking into destiny.

Sharde’, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

The Janiyah Strong Foundation was born from faith, forged through fire, and built on love.

Our mission is heart-centered and God-led: to uplift, empower, and support individuals and families facing adversity. We believe that even in life’s most painful moments, God is still working. Everything we do is designed to turn pain into purpose, trials into testimony, and challenges into strength.

Our story began when our daughter, Janiyah, was born with a congenital heart defect and underwent open-heart surgery at just three months old. In that season of fear and uncertainty, we leaned on our faith like never before. We witnessed firsthand the power of prayer, the strength of community, and the faithfulness of God.

What could have broken us became the very thing that built us.

From that experience, this foundation was created — not just as an organization, but as a promise. A promise that no family would have to walk through hardship alone. Since that day, we have worked tirelessly to raise awareness about the signs and symptoms of congenital heart disease in newborns and children, while boldly sharing the goodness and grace of God who carried us through.

What We Provide

At The Janiyah Strong Foundation, we serve with compassion and intentionality. Our programs and services are designed to meet real needs while restoring real hope. Depending on community needs, our work includes:

Financial assistance for families in crisis

Community outreach initiatives

Educational support and scholarships

Advocacy and awareness campaigns

Youth empowerment programs

Family-centered events and wellness initiatives

But beyond the programs, we provide presence.

We create safe, loving spaces where families feel seen, heard, valued, and supported. Our work is not just about resources — it is about restoration. It is about reminding people that they are not forgotten and that their story is not over.

The Problems We Solve

Too many families suffer in silence — emotionally overwhelmed, financially burdened, and unsure where to turn. Navigating medical systems, financial strain, or personal crisis can feel isolating and heavy.

We step in to:

Provide immediate relief during difficult times

Connect families with trusted resources

Offer emotional encouragement and spiritual support

Advocate for those who may not have a voice

Reduce isolation by building a strong, faith-filled community

We address urgent needs while also investing in long-term empowerment. We believe in helping families rebuild with dignity, strength, and renewed hope.

What Sets Us Apart

What sets The Janiyah Strong Foundation apart is simple: we understand.

This foundation was born from lived experience. We know what hospital rooms feel like. We know the late-night prayers. We know the uncertainty. And we know the miracles.

We do not serve from a distance — we serve from compassion.

Our approach is:

Community-driven

Transparent

Impact-focused

Rooted in love, resilience, and faith

Every initiative is intentional. Every family matters. Every story is sacred.

What We’re Most Proud Of

We are most proud of the lives we’ve touched and the hope we’ve seen restored. Whether it’s helping a family through crisis, supporting a child’s educational journey, or bringing a community together in unity — those moments are reminders of why we said “yes” to this calling.

We are proud that what once felt like our greatest trial became our greatest testimony.

What We Want People to Know

To our supporters, families, and partners:

This foundation is built on faith, integrity, and obedience to God’s call.

We are here to serve — not to seek recognition.

Every contribution, every prayer, every act of kindness directly impacts real families.

We believe in resilience.
We believe in unity.
We believe in empowerment.
And above all, we believe in a God who still performs miracles.

The Janiyah Strong Foundation is more than an organization — it is a movement of strength, compassion, and unwavering hope.

Our mission is simple:
No family should ever have to face hardship alone.

How’d you meet your business partner?

Our cofounder isn’t just a business partner — he’s my husband.

We met in 2012, and from the very beginning, there was something special about our connection. What started as a relationship built on love, friendship, and shared values slowly grew into something much deeper — a partnership rooted in faith, trust, and purpose.

Over the years, we built more than a life together. We built a foundation of prayer, resilience, and unwavering belief in God’s plan for our family.

When our daughter Janiyah was born and faced her congenital heart diagnosis, our marriage was tested in ways we never imagined. Hospital rooms, long nights, difficult conversations — those moments could have pulled us apart. Instead, they brought us closer. We learned how to lean on each other. We learned how to fight together. We learned how to trust God together.

In that season, we weren’t just husband and wife — we became partners in purpose.

Out of that trial, The Janiyah Strong Foundation was born. What began as our personal testimony became a shared calling. We realized that our story wasn’t just for us — it was meant to serve others.

Working together as cofounders is an extension of our marriage. We lead with love. We make decisions with prayer. We serve from a place of lived experience. And we remain united in one mission: to ensure that no family walks through hardship alone.

Our love story became a leadership story — and our partnership is built on faith, family, and the belief that God brings people together not just for companionship, but for calling.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

One of the most defining moments of our resilience came during the hours leading up to our daughter Janiyah’s open-heart surgery.

She was only three months old.

As parents, there is nothing that prepares you for hearing the words “congenital heart defect.” Nothing prepares you for watching doctors explain procedures that sound overwhelming and frightening. And nothing prepares you for handing your tiny baby over to a surgical team, knowing her heart is in their hands — and ultimately in God’s.

The morning of her surgery, we felt every emotion imaginable — fear, uncertainty, heartbreak. But beneath all of that, there was faith.

We prayed over her. We prayed with our family. We prayed in the hospital room. And when it was time to let her go back, we made a choice: we would trust God completely, even when we couldn’t see the outcome.

Those hours in the waiting room felt endless. But they were also transformative. In that space of surrender, our resilience was born. Not the kind that says “this doesn’t hurt,” but the kind that says “even in this, we will stand.”

When the surgeon came out with good news, it felt like a miracle wrapped in mercy.

But resilience didn’t end when the surgery was over. It continued in the recovery, the follow-up appointments, the emotional toll, and the adjustment to a new normal. It showed up in advocating for her health. It showed up in educating ourselves. It showed up in deciding that our story would not be one of fear — but of faith and purpose.

That season could have broken us.

Instead, it built us.

It taught us that resilience isn’t about pretending to be strong — it’s about holding onto God when you feel weak. It’s about choosing hope when circumstances try to steal it. It’s about turning your greatest trial into someone else’s lifeline.

That journey is the very heartbeat behind The Janiyah Strong Foundation.

What we survived became what we now use to serve.

And that is resilience.

Contact Info:

• Website: www,janiyahstrong,org
• Instagram: The Janiyah Strong Foundation
• Facebook: The Janiyah Strong Foundation

Image Credits

Shots by CEO, Figaro Photography LLC