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

Noah, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Coming up with the idea is so exciting, but then comes the hard part – executing. Too often the media ignores the execution part and goes from idea to success, skipping over the nitty, gritty details of executing in the early days. We think that’s a disservice both to the entrepreneurs who built something amazing as well as the public who isn’t getting a realistic picture of what it takes to succeed. So, we’d really appreciate if you could open up about your execution story – how did you go from idea to execution?

I started this business out of communal necessity. In December 2019, as a Morehouse College graduate full of hope and opportunity at every corner I was excited about the next phase in my life. Then COVID-19 happened, Subsequently, I lost three high-level employment opportunities as the early impacts of the pandemic started to set in. By March, with the entire world at a halt, I started reevaluating my purpose and passion. Continually asking myself as many others were wondering “what does the future hold?’. Finally, I had a sudden realization that my stressors weren’t the most severe, many other individuals were suffering unbearable hardships such as food and clothing insecurity. I knew then I was most happy when serving others. May 2020, I decided that I’d do my part, I recruited friends to assist me in preparing, packaging and delivering meals throughout our local community serving over 2,000 people that month. Before we knew it, this practice would become a routine for us to come together despite our own stressors and do our part to decrease food and clothing insecurity. We haven’t stopped since, creating a weekly safe haven to release negativity through love, light and service to the communities that we benefit from. Currently we have distributed over 75,000 meals across 8 cities in the US working along side dozens of college campuses, hundreds of students to impact thousands of lives. Our mission statement is “Created with, Guided by, and Thriving on Love.

Noah, 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?

Lifting Our Voices, Inc. (LOV) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization formed in May of 2020 with a goal of combatting social and economic issues exacerbated by the pandemic. LOV is focused on meeting members of the community where they are. I am Noah McQueen, the Founder and CEO of LOV, a recent graduate of Morehouse College with a degree in sociology. As a Washington, D.C. native through preservation and tenacity, I became a first generation attendant and graduate of college. While at Morehouse, I was blessed to received a full scholarship for community service completing over 2,000 hours in leadership and servitude roles. I excelled in my academics receiving honors during my college career. I have been able to attain highly-skilled interpersonal communication skills. I have become a professional with an innate commitment to advocacy and public service using guiding principles of preserving, protecting, and informing the public of its rights to accurate and factual information. Some of my interests include STEAM inclusion, community organizing and development, as well as legislation and policy. I’m committed to Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Beloved Community philosophy.

Have you ever had to pivot?

The pandemic and the lasting effects it has had on everyday life has made me a professional pivot expert. We have continued to offer the interpersonal environment of needs based in-person community services but using the digital platforms more heavily has been the focus of our pivotal point. This pivot requires investments in information technology, marketing, and logistics that could prove profitable over the long run to gain and maintain momentum.

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

Resilience is a watchword of mine. At 16 years old a product of as broken home and a poverty stricken environment, I remember sitting in a jail cell listing the things I wanted to do in my life the list included to join the football team and newspaper club, and most importantly, live long enough to graduate from high school. Pursuing a college degree was never in my plan. It wasn’t long ago that I was sitting in a courtroom as a judge berated me as he read my grades aloud. This intentional display of humiliation was met by laughs from the others in the room in that moment I felt an epiphany. The judge recommended me to attend a community college and that would be all I was worth, God told me I was meant and destined for more. I begged and pleaded for someone to speak life into me, to believe in me. I was blessed with a few good men and women who did speak life, encouragement and success over my journey. I was able to navigate through the roughest time in my life my adolescence, and became a Morehouse man.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://liftingourvoices.org
• Instagram: @Noah_Mcqueen
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LiftingOurVoice/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/noah-mcqueen-6b951b122?trk=people-guest_people_search-card&original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fpub%2Fdir%3FfirstName%3DNOah%26lastName%3DMcqueen%26trk%3Dpeople-guest_people-search-bar_search-submit
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@liftingourvoicesinc.7599