We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Briauna Wills a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Briauna, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s talk about innovation. What’s the most innovative thing you’ve done in your career?
The most innovative thing i’ve done in this program yet has had to be engaging with local female entrepreneurs dominating “male “ dominated career fields to provide participants in our program vocational training and intership opportunities, i have found that this service not only provides real world experience but also a direct connection to sustainability and independence
Briauna, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I am Briauna Wills and i was recently named one of Baltimore Magazines GameChagers of 2022. The advocacy work i do in Baltimore City and community areas is the reason i was awarded this title . I serve as the current CEO and Founder of Young Queens In Training Mentorship Program . My nonprofit organization serves at risk female youth in Baltimore City through supportive services that include but aren’t limited to behavioral modification, home economics training, youth empowerment and crisis intervention. Our programs mission is to aid young women experiencing crisis by providing them knowledge and accessibility to community supports. We are innovative and utilize our relatability factor and sisterhood-like approach to provide our girls a safe haven to connect. Our programs target population is female youth ages 16-24 but we have participants join as early as 8 years old. Our program partners with youth service programs and community resources such as the department of social services, childrens choice foster care program, baltimore city recreation and parks and countless other amazing organizations
Can you open up about how you funded your business?
I begin my business with a total of $750 . I used my regular income and prayed that if i stayed consistent i would get the support i desperately needed. I used that money to assure that my business was made legitimate and soon after starting and becoming a 501(c)3 status . I received my first donation of $600.
How did you build your audience on social media?
When my business first appeared on social media i didnt have a social media manager . This was a huge mistake. I thought i was cutting cost by doing things myself and it hurt my business more than it helped because no one would take my business pages seriously. There werent any photos of work we’ve done. There was no uniform in the way things were being shared. It was a mess. That is until i took the time to research social media presence and ultimately hiring volunteers to manage our growing audience . Best decision i made.
Contact Info:
- Website: Www.youngqueensintraining.org
- Instagram: Youngqueensintraining
- Facebook: Youngqueensintraining