We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Saran Fossett. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Saran below.
Saran, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?
AZIZA means precious, gorgeous, powerful and is my daughter’s middle name. My love for her inspired me to start the program. My daughter, Nile AZIZA, was attending a predominantly white, elitist school that she deserved to attend. I was concerned about her ability to thrive in her blackness in that space and decided that I wanted to be more influential and engaged in her life. I quit my job at Baltimore City Public Schools and started this program. I asked my daughter if I could “be a mom” to other young ladies who had super busy moms. She granted her permission and here I am, 15 years later.
Saran, 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?
Saran Fossett is a committed, passionate, strategic, creative, awarded, multidisciplinary leader and youth advocate with an eye for innovation and possibilities. She is currently the Founder and Executive Director of award-winning youth program AZIZA PE&CE, which is commonly referred to as “AP.
AP utilizes fashion, the arts and social entrepreneurship to address the cultural, social, emotional, critical thinking and life skills development of youth, especially girls and LGBTQ+ youth. Fossett’s goal is to build AP to be a national and global social entrepreneurship program and public health initiative that offers employment opportunities and provides safe and empowering places to teach youth the value of self-love, self-actualization and self-acceptance. Prior to founding AZIZA PE&CE, Fossett completed her high school education at Western High School in Baltimore, Md., and received her B.A. in Fashion Merchandising and Marketing from Bauder Fashion College in Atlanta, Ga., and Tobe Coburn School of Fashion Careers in New York,N.Y.
Fossett has worked the gamut of careers in fashion as a professional model, boutique owner, model agent, stylist, merchandiser, consultant, fashion event producer and creative director to name a few. Although her skill set is vast, her
greatest expertise and passion revolve in the worlds of youth advocacy, public health, fashion/charity event planning, program development and management, and marketing.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
In 2019 as I planned our annual fashion fundraiser event, STRUT, I was diagnosed with Breast Cancer. I will never forget the moment. I was driving to our planning meeting and the doctor called and shared the news. I took a breath and asked about next steps and drove to the meeting. Two days later, I met with the medical team and went to visit my parents and share the outcome. During that visit, my bonus mom announced that she too, had been diagnosed with breast cancer. We were in the fight together.
After our March fashion event, we planned our BE! Conference. Both events were huge successes and I moved into focusing on my health. Cancer was found in both breasts and in April, I had surgery on both breasts. After weeks of recovery, they discovered that they had not removed all of the cancer. 45 days after the first surgery, I had a second surgery. That surgery occurred 10 days before a planned trip for our 15 seniors to Universal Studios. On the day of the trip, I was bright eyed and determined to celebrate our youth as promised. I went to Universal Studios bandaged and filled with love, hope and encouragement for our squad.
My treatment went started as we offered summer programming. I had radiation every day for seven weeks. I received treatment, got a smoothie, ate peanut butter crackers for nausea, and went to our summer program activities each day from 8:30 am – 3:30 pm. Summer ended successfully and my treatment continued for a few weeks. I ended my bout with breast cancer, along with my Bonus Mom, on September 16, 2019!!
Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?
My most effective strategy for growing my clientele is LOVE! I am privileged and blessed to do what I LOVE, with LOVE, for the sake of LOVE! AZIZA PE&CE provides a safe space, honors the voice and feelings of youth and young adult. We empower and encourage them with love. They fall in love with themselves, commit to doing what’s best for them, their families and communities. Youth become part of the change they want to see.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.aziza-pece.squarespace.com
- Instagram: @iam_azizapece
- Facebook: AZIZA PE&CE Youth Programming
- Linkedin: Saran Fossett
- Twitter: @AZIZA_PECE
- Youtube: n/a
- Yelp: n/a
- Other: n/a
Image Credits
Hugh Williams Omar Rafik