We recently connected with LaPortia Frazier and have shared our conversation below.
LaPortia, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What sort of legacy are you hoping to build. What do you think people will say about you after you are gone, what do you hope to be remembered for?
I believe everyone is looking to leave their mark in some way . When I think of the legacy we want to leave behind, so much comes to mind. Speaking on behalf of T.R.I.B.E. of Georgia Inc. , we want our legacy to consist of being a organization known for their philanthropical efforts in support of women who are mothers and/or underserved, T.R.I.B.E. will be a continued resource years to come for this population in the form of support groups, transitional housing and pantry programs serving the Atlanta area.
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?
T.R.I.B.E. of Georgia, Incorporated was founded January 6th, 2020. We when started this non-profit our mission was to create a safe space for young women to become their higher selves. We sought to mentor high school and college aged women through our emperor class by focusing on our four Jewels: friendship, community , life skills and wellness. We did service projects such as community road clean ups and care packages for college students. We also held our Vibe with the T.R.I.B.E. book club which connect high school and young adult women. However, as we all know 2020 brought many challenges. The world changed and we had to change with it. We were unable to secure a facility to work with young ladies in person therefore, moving our empress class to a virtual program. Although we were able to successfully complete our program, in 2021 we noticed our organization appealed to a different audience. Many young adult women between the age of 25-35 were interested in what we were doing . We found that many women in this age group were looking for a community of women to connect with. Our board also realized that we hade evolved during this time and we too, desired that same community. In 2022 T.R.I.B.E . has been revamped to support young adult women who are mothers and/or underserved. We are continuing with our book club and service projects however, we will be introducing a mom support group in 2023. We are also excited about our Mother’s Day Event in 2023 which will support mothers and bereaved mothers. T.R.I.B.E. is most proud of being able to say we are still here even through the COVID-19 pandemic and our individual changes.
How’d you meet your business partner?
The beauty of T.R.I.B.E. is that it is a organization founded by friends. The cofounder and CEO, is my dear friend from college, Angera Bolton. We started T.R.I.B.E. while living together shortly after graduating from graduate school. Since T.R.I.B.E.’s founding we have had many friends join us in successfully bringing our vision into fruition. Lynnette Jones served as our Empress of Influence and lead the Empress Class. KeAndrea Rivers served as our editor of our Empress Class Program Manual . Brittany Snowden is currently the Chief Administration Officer of T.R.I.B.E. The origin of our friendship stems from Valdosta State University which is the college we all attended during our undergraduate studies . To have moved on from college but still be connected to each other is amazing. As the organization grows and new people join, it really embodies what being a ”tribe’ means.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
I previously mentioned that T.R.I.B.E. was founded in 2020 which marked the start of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Very early on we had to show resilience. We spent all of 2019 planning and were ready to execute the next year . We eventually went on lockdown and struggled to secure a place to hold our programs. Everything was virtual for a while and every one seemed to be experiencing burn out . This caused us to get more creative with our meetings by using parks and trails at meeting spaces outside of virtual interactions. This among personal challenges could have really taken a toll on the growth of the organization. However, we continued to press forward and successfully meet our goals for that year. We then evaluated what went well and where we could improve. T.R.I.B.E. also gained 501(c)(3) status during this time. Thanks to the determination of our CEO we are still here and are ready for what’s to come.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.tribeofgeorgia.com/
- Instagram: @tribeofga
- Facebook: TRIBE of Georgia, Incorporated