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

Eleise, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

Experience The Legacy, Inc. was founded in 2016 to help bridge the opportunity gap for college-bound students, combining some of the fun of the iconic Historically Black College & University (HBCU) homecoming with the essential information that traditional college fairs provide. Our mission is to raise awareness about these institutions and provide under-resourced communities with comprehensive information, resources and a taste of the HBCU experience by celebrating the history, culture and impact through a curated college resource fair.

The Experience the Legacy HBCU College Fair first took shape after I identified the lack of awareness and disproportionate access to HBCUs within local communities. Aiming to bridge the gap, I began orchestrating a college fair geared specifically towards HBCUs in my hometown of Irvington, New Jersey. I wanted to make sure students from neighborhoods and communities that look like mine, have the real information, have the resources, have the access to recruiters, and to alumni in order to learn more about HBCUs and truly assess whether it’s a good fit for them and consider them when they’re thinking about their future college journey.

From there, what began as a local fair developed into a full-fledged nonprofit dedicated to “bringing the excellence, innovation and pride of HBCUs directly to high school students. In alignment with this mission, I also recently embarked on a cross-country roadtrip in which I visited every HBCU in the contiguous states.

Eleise, 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?

I work full time in Public Policy where I lead the political engagement strategy for a tech company. A native of Irvington, NJ, I earned her Bachelor’s degree in 2010 from Howard University in Washington, D.C. and outside of my professional career, I am a passionate advocate for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). I am the founder of Experience The Legacy, Inc., a non-profit whose mission is to bring the Historically Black College tour experience directly to students’ backyard, many of whom cannot access or afford the traditional chartered trips across the East Coast and South.

Inspired by my own transformative experience, I recognized the lack of awareness and disproportionate access to HBCUs within local communities so that’s when I decided to orchestrate a college fair geared specifically towards HBCUs with the goal of bridging the opportunity gap.

Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?

We all attended HBCUs and share the same passion and understanding about their value and impact. So they are just as invested in the success as I am.

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

I self funded a lot of the resources to start the non-profit and execute our signature event but overtime after building a more reputable brand and hiring staff, we were able to secure sponsorships.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.experiencethelegacy.org/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/experiencethelegacyinc
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/experiencethelegacyinc/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ExperienceTheLegacyInc

Image Credits

Lamar Carter
Survivor By Design Media