Cheers to Another Four Years! 🥂🎉
Hi Friends,
Four years ago, in October 2022, I sat in a coffee shop with four young Black women, three freshmen and one graduate student, and that’s how it all started. Logically, I knew the day would come when they'd graduate and move on to their next chapters, but I never really thought about how it would feel to no longer see those familiar faces at TCI. And while saying goodbye to that chapter was bittersweet, they left us with something pretty incredible: a legacy of impact, and for the first time, four years of data to help tell that story.. In case you missed, you can check out the highlights here.
“You Do Your Job, and I’ll Do Mine.” — God
We kicked off the new semester RIGHT, and let me tell you HOW!
I was invited to attend the Shaun Robinson SHE Leads Conference, a two-day gathering hosted by the S.H.A.U.N. Foundation for Girls that brings together women leading nonprofits dedicated to supporting and empowering girls and young women. It's an opportunity for organizations like TCI to connect, share experiences, learn from one another, and build relationships with people who understand both the rewards and challenges of doing this work. And as if that weren't enough, one nonprofit in attendance would receive a $10,000 grant for general operating support! Now, there were so many incredible and deserving organizations in attendance that I knew our chances were a long shot.
In fact, I was planning to duck out a little early on the second day and skip the closing dinner. Now, it wasn't because I didn't want to be there. Between working a full-time job, starting my doctoral program, and running TCI, my schedule was already doing the absolute MOST!
On the first day of the conference, after it ended, I attended a fundraiser where Doug Emhoff was speaking. And word on the curb was that Kamala Harris would be speaking at the SHE Leads Conference the following day. Now, who passes up an opportunity to hear BOTH of them speak within 48 hours?! NO ONE!
So Monday, I attended the conference, went straight to the fundraiser, came home, and worked on a paper until 2 a.m. Tuesday, I was up at 5 a.m. answering my work emails before heading back to the conference for day two. Mama was TIRED! And if I'm being completely transparent, I hadn't expected us to win. There were so many deserving organizations in the room, and my imposter syndrome was having a field day.
"You know you're not going to get this."
"These are real organizations with bigger budgets."
"Girl, you don't win stuff like this."
I mean, here we were—me, Jessica, and an organization we'd been working tirelessly to sustain, with my personal credit cards helping to make up the difference.
So, by the end of day two, I was seriously considering skipping dinner and heading home. I was exhausted, I had plenty of work waiting for me, and I certainly wasn't expecting to hear TCI's name called.
But thankfully, Jessica and I stayed. And I'm so glad we did because TCI WON!!!
We were awarded a $10,000 grant, and let me tell you, it couldn't have come at a better time.
Now, I'll Let You in on a Little Secret.
For quite some time, I've been using my own money to help keep TCI afloat. And while I'm incredibly proud of what we've built, the financial realities of running a small nonprofit aren't always pretty. By summer 2026, I had reached a point where I could no longer comfortably sustain both the organization and my own livelihood. I was facing a decision I never wanted to make: let my personal bills slide so TCI could return for another semester, or prioritize my financial responsibilities and potentially pause programming for the first time.
I chose TCI.
But that decision came with a very real cost. I remember preparing for one of our Jeni's Ice Cream fundraisers. As usual, I was going to stand outside the shop, encourage passersby to purchase ice cream, and raise whatever money I could for the organization. It was hot. It was humid. And I'd recently been told that my position at work was being eliminated. Life was not looking that great for me. But TCI brought me immense joy, and I knew the work we were doing mattered.
I was exhausted, overwhelmed, and worried about how I was going to make everything work. I remember asking God, "What am I going to do?" The answer I heard was simple: "You do your job, and I'll do mine." Well, I knew what my job was that day. HUSTLE THAT ICE CREAM! And that's exactly what I did.
Now, I'm sure some of you are thinking, But Nicole, what about grants?
Trust me, we've been pursuing them. But the changing funding landscape, including the rollback of DEI initiatives, has made an already difficult environment even more challenging for organizations like ours. There's also something people don't always understand about emerging nonprofits: funders want evidence of impact, and rightfully so. But collecting longitudinal data takes time. You can't demonstrate four years of outcomes when your organization hasn't existed for four years! Last spring, we finally reached that milestone. We had completed our first four-year mentorship cycle, collected meaningful impact data, and had incredible stories demonstrating the value of our work.
And yet, we were still trying to figure out how to fund another semester.
Which Brings Me Back to the Conference…
When Shaun Robinson began describing the organization that would receive the grant, I remember thinking, She can't be talking about us. Then she mentioned Los Angeles. I thought, She's not talking about us… or is she? Then she said our name: THE COLLECTIVE IDENTITY MENTORING! I burst into tears in threw myself into Jessica’s arms! My first thought was, "Thank God for answering my prayers." Because I genuinely didn't know how I was going to make it. I had already prepared myself to take on more personal financial strain. I'd even taken a job teaching abnormal psychology virtually at a community college in Des Moines, Iowa, in addition to my other responsibilities, because I knew the young Black women we serve were worth fighting for.
But at that moment, I was reminded of something I'd heard months earlier, standing outside an ice cream shop: "You do your job, and I'll do mine." And months later, there I was, watching a $10,000 prayer get answered. That grant wasn't simply another accomplishment to add to our list. It represented relief, possibility, and the opportunity to keep moving forward without immediately taking on another significant personal financial burden. It didn't solve every challenge. We still have work to do to build the sustainable financial foundation TCI deserves. But in that moment, it meant we could keep going. And for THIS, I will always be grateful.
Who Will This Blessing Serve? Meet Our 2026–27 Cohort!
❤️💛
My TCI Why ❤️
At TCI, we ask everyone one question: What's your TCI Why? Why are you part of TCI? Well, these young women are MY WHY!
They're why I go so hard. Why I've made sacrifices I never imagined making. Why I returned to school to pursue my EdD. And why, even when I'm exhausted, I keep showing up.
They're talented, funny, driven, and full of potential. It's an honor to watch them grow more confident, resilient, and unafraid to take steps toward their futures. Among them are future lawyers, occupational therapists, music executives, computer engineers, and one young woman who's already planning her 2028 City Council campaign for District 8—but I'll let HER tell you about that!
Four years ago, I started TCI hoping to make a difference in the lives of young Black women. What I didn't anticipate was just how much of a difference they would make in mine.
Stay tuned! ❤️
Before You Go… One Last Thing! ❤️💛
Well, friends, we've covered quite a bit, haven't we? From welcoming new faces and celebrating familiar ones to unexpected blessings, laughter, and even a few clothing rack casualties! 😂
I hope this first blog has given you a little more insight into the world of TCI. And as well continue on with what we do my intent is to pull back the curtain a little more each time to show you more of the behind the scenes of TCI. And I want to invite you to become part of the story.
We cannot do this work alone, nor should we have to.
There are so many ways to make a difference. Maybe you're in a position to make a financial contribution, whether it's $10, $100, or a recurring monthly gift. Perhaps you have a professional connection who could open a door for one of our mentees, a company interested in partnering with us, or an opportunity to expose our young women to something they've never experienced before. Maybe you can help us furnish our little boutique, purchase supplies from our Amazon Wishlist, volunteer your expertise, or simply introduce TCI to someone who believes in what we're building.