We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kayla J. Smith-hardy. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kayla J. below.

Hi Kayla J., thanks for joining us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

Everyone has something that just makes sense to them. We form groups based on shared ideas and values. For me, I have always loved the vibrancy of the community I witnessed growing up in Memphis, Tennessee. By the time I graduated high school, I realized that those moments of safety and joy were intentionally created. Community organizing is an essential skill—requiring people who are willing to facilitate others and assign roles based on strengths. I became fascinated with the history of organizers, especially those from Memphis. It always felt natural for me, as a student, to focus on relationship building and the operational side of things. For anything to be successful, it requires effort. And for people-centered initiatives, you must be especially thoughtful about how to best engage and serve others.

After graduating from divinity school, I naturally gravitated toward the nonprofit sector. Last year, while attending a conference, the keynote speaker introduced himself as the leader of a social impact consulting firm. I remember speaking to him later that day, sharing my interest in becoming a social impact consultant. Once I had the language to describe the industry I was drawn to and excelled in, I knew I had to pursue it. I founded Lilac Impact Services, LLC—a consultancy where social impact meets strategic goals. It was important to me to create a business that centers impact while still offering traditional consulting services. Lilac offers tailored services ranging from project management and community engagement to event facilitation.

Lilac Impact Services is uniquely positioned to understand complex societal challenges and address organizational needs. I have an interdisciplinary Human Rights and Justice self-designed major from Birmingham-Southern College and a Master of Divinity from Harvard University. Rooted in womanist values and community organizing principles, Lilac Impact Services is here to serve nonprofits, philanthropic foundations, and people-centered organizations.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am proudly born and raised in Memphis, TN. I grew up attending events where people happily danced and enjoyed being with family and friends. I also have the privilege of being ancestrally connected to Orange Mound, a historic Memphis neighborhood known as one of the first in the United States built for and by formerly enslaved African Americans. Pride in my heritage and constant exposure to entrepreneurship and impactful neighborhood organizing were embedded in me from a young age. I have always been drawn to the “how” and “why” of helping people thrive. For much of my life, I prepared to become a doctor. However, during my sophomore year, I pivoted after my second required Chemistry class, realizing that studying science was not the only way I could be people-oriented. I was drawn to the humanities, particularly Sociology, Religion, and Political Science.

As a student at Birmingham-Southern College, I deeply enjoyed my service-learning experiences. In my freshman year, I volunteered in San Francisco at Glide United Methodist, where we focused on urban poverty. Later, I spent time in Ghana working with a group of third graders on education initiatives. I also had the opportunity to study in Ireland, where I presented on Angela Davis and the parallel civil rights challenges Ireland faced. My independent research covered Human Rights, Womanism, and Black Liberation Theology. These experiences eventually led me to divinity school, inspired by my Religion professor, who showed me that divinity school is not just for those pursuing ministry within worship spaces.

At Harvard Divinity School, I honed my community organizing skills through field education and extensive readings. As a Dean’s Fellow, I created my own field placements to work with vulnerable groups that resonated with me, including youth facing challenges in traditional schools or those who had spent time in detention centers. I received training on being a genuine facilitator who actively listens and humanizes everyone’s stories. I also focused intentionally on Leadership Studies throughout both my undergraduate and graduate experiences.

Some of my proudest accomplishments include being innovative and filling gaps where I can have an impact. I founded the Annual Black History Month Gala at Birmingham-Southern College to celebrate Black culture at a historically White institution in Alabama. As President of Harambee: Students of African Descent at Harvard, I successfully advocated for more funding for the student-led Black Religion, Spirituality, and Culture Conference. That increased funding continued even after my time on campus. As the only Black woman in my graduating M.Div. class, I embraced the dynamic history and culture of my Southern roots.
At my core, I am a project manager and organizer. I can authentically work with people from any background, whether coordinating afterschool programs or leading Ivy League workshops for students, residents, faculty, and staff. I also thrive on structure to reach goals and stay aligned with shared values. I founded Lilac Impact Services, LLC, because I could no longer accept that philanthropic and people-centered work is trivial. People are complex, and the values you uphold, along with your actions, affect how others trust you. For service-based groups, authentic buy-in from the target audience is essential. People support what they believe in, and it helps to demonstrate that there is consistent structure behind the work.

I assist clients by managing operational tasks such as data management and reporting, stakeholder engagement, strategic planning, and budgeting. I also excel in relational community organizing, having led neighborhood-based meetings, workshops, an international conference, and a local political forum. While many people find administrative tasks and facilitating meetings or events overwhelming, these are areas where I thrive and enjoy. Lilac Impact Services is ready to lead the way in trusting the expertise of consultants who specialize in social impact efforts.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

I am my own biggest critic, and I have put a lot of pressure on myself in the past. I had to learn to genuinely overcome feelings of imposter syndrome. I have experienced it countless times since the moment I left my childhood home to pursue my dreams. However, I realized that even with my fears, I can still be a leader and make my mark by focusing on impact in any space I am in. I have learned to better embrace my authenticity, even when it feels uncomfortable. Additionally, seeing others exude confidence and move forward matter-of-factly, even when they do not always get it right, helped me ease the pressure I put on myself.

I am still actively practicing not doubting myself and my capabilities. I remind myself of all the significant things I have already accomplished (most of which were unintentional), and I realize I have done more than enough. Waking up every day with kind thoughts and empathy is all I truly need to commit to. For anyone else who has experienced feeling unqualified or out of place, just focus on owning who you are.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

I care about honoring the roles assigned to me. I believe in being accountable and trustworthy, ensuring that I deliver on what is asked of me. Through building trust and being reliable, my immediate network and former clients have helped increase the visibility of Lilac Impact Services. They are the reason I have become an entrepreneur on the rise today.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.lilacimpactservices.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lilacimpactservices/
• Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/lilacimpactservices
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lilac-impact-services-llc

Image Credits

Kristopher Tabor Photography and Visuals by the Artist