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

Hi Sarah-Ashley , thanks for joining us today. Crazy stuff happening is almost as certain as death and taxes – it’s technically “unexpected” but something unexpected happening is to be expected and so can you share a crazy story with our readers

I have three stories off the top of my head that I could share. My background to the first story is that each year my non profit, Dare 2 Hope does a holiday giveback. This particular year we were hosting an event at a residential facility for teens girls with mental and behavioral health concerns. I had called in a favor for an extra surprise for the kids. Meek Mill a Philadelphia rapper agreed to surprise the teens. When he arrived I was asked to come into his vehicle to discuss logistics one final time. Once I was in the vehicle, as we were talking, another voice began to chime in. I turned around and in the back seat was rapper Nicki Minaj, she decided to come surprise the teens as well.

Another story happened at the Made in America festival. Each year we are invited to the Cause Village to share information about Dare 2 Hope. We always have games so that people will stop and interact with us. This particular year a lady came by and stayed at our tenet for almost an hour. The next day she returned to our tent and said “I had such a good time with you all yesterday I had to bring my friend to meet yall”. Her friend was Gloria Carter, Jay-Z’s mom.

The final story happened before the ones above. I had left college and began focusing on Dare 2 Hope full time. I was driving for lyft on the side. I picked up a passenger from downtown Philadelphia and drove him to New Jersey. While we were talking we got on the topic of Dare 2 Hope and my work around suicide prevention. After the almost hour ride we parted ways and he wished me luck. The next day when I checked our funding account and we received a donation from the passenger. I went on to find who he was. After some research I realized he was the CEO of one of the top energy companies in Philadelphia. I asked could we grab coffee and talk. That day he gave me advice on how to structure my board, what to focus on in business, and the greatest advice he gave me was to return to and finish school. He told me that he did not care if I got my degree in coloring, people needed to know that I can start and finish something. The next week I enrolled in school, graduated the next year and enrolled in grad school the following year.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am Sarah-Ashley Andrews, a licensed professional counselor born in Philadelphia, PA. I pursued Mass Communications at Bloomsburg University and later enrolled at Lancaster Bible College, where I graduated with a Bachelor of Art degree in Biblical Studies with a minor in Human Services. Additionally, I hold a Master of Science Degree in Counseling from Lincoln University of PA.

In the summer of 2012, I received news that my longtime friend died by suicide. This event spurred me to found the non-profit organization, Dare 2 Hope, in 2013, which is dedicated to conquering suicide in youth and young adults. To date, my organization has educated nearly 8500 people on suicide awareness. Recently, with the launch of Philadelphia’s 1st Mobile Therapy Unit, my goal through Dare 2 Hope is to increase access to wellness in underserved communities.

I am the CEO and lead clinician at Simple Minds LLC, a private therapy practice geared toward making mental wellness accessible to Black and Brown people.

As a published author, I wrote the book, Move Making Monday, and co-host a successful podcast, Black in Therapy, which focuses on normalizing mental wellness in the Black community.

Currently, I serve as the youngest member of the Philadelphia Board of Education. In this role, I help oversee the welfare of approximately 200,000 students, manage the workforce of 20,000 employees, and a budget of 4.5 billion dollars. My specific roles include Co-chair of the Parent and Community Advisory Council, and liaison to our student board representatives.

My commitment to my community has afforded me many leadership opportunities, including being appointed to the city of Philadelphia’s Reconciliation Steering Committee, Police Reform Subcommittee, and the Indego Bike Community Advisory Council.

I am most proud of the impact that I have made on normalizing mental wellness in the Black community.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I was attending school to make films. When I lost my friend to suicide it changed the trajectory of my life. I went from wanting to own a production company to now being a licensed professional counselor, and own a private practice.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

My funding story is rather unique. I began raising money for my non profit by creating and selling bracelets. I sold the bracelets that i made at home for $5.00 each. We were able to fund multiple school tours with the funds raised. As the company began to grow, businesses and companies began to invest in us. My blessing is that I never had to search for funding, funding has always come to me. I am a believer in Christ. Part of my core belief is that God will always provide, and fund whatever vision He gives. This has been true the entire time with Dare 2 Hope.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.dare-2-hope.org
• Instagram: @dare2hope (business) @Irundare2hope (personal)
• Facebook: Sarah-Ashley Andrews (personal) Dare 2 Hope (business)
• Twitter: irundare2hope