Angela Page, 33, took her finance degree and her love of design and turned them into a successful business. Stepping outside the box, she chose to leave the security of a corporate job and pursue her dream. The result? Le Creatif Designs, LLC., a successful interior design consulting firm launched in 2000. In 2007 Angela will open Le Creatif Design Gallery, which will offer quality, fashionable and unique furniture to the sophisticated client. Angela’s success is due in large part to her outlook on life, “Your dreams will inspire you but your goals will keep you moving in the right direction.” This belief has carried her through the many challenges of a small business owner. In 2005, she was awarded the Miller Urban Entrepreneur Series Business Plan Contest, which enabled her to invest more in her business. Angela’s accomplishments have not gone unnoticed, in 2007 she was nominated Black Enterprise Magazine’s Rising Star of the year. To learn more about Angela and how she turned her dreams into a successful business, read on in this week’s Young & Professional Profile.
Sade Sobande, 27, and her colleagues were in search of a place to develop as African entrepreneurs when they realized that place didn’t exist. Instead of giving up they took action and created The African Network, an organization whose purpose is to foster the growth of entrepreneurship and technology in Africa and the African diaspora. Their organization has managed to both develop individual entrepreneurs here in the Silicon Valley as well as to develop the future of Africa. Not only have they held a successful conference, in which they discussed the future of science and technology in Africa, they have also held networking events that enable members to interact and learn from speakers from the worlds of technology, business, government, and academia. One of their largest accomplishments has been the development of The TAN Empowerment Program, which in 2006 donated computers to needy schools in Sierra Leone. For more information on The African Network and how you can get involved, read on in this week’s Non-Profit Spotlight.
Are young professionals influential in the workplace? Yes, absolutely. If you were to ask this same question a decade ago, the answer would be quite the opposite. We’re responsible for changing traditional methods of communication (think IM, text messaging, emails at odd hours), we’re bolder and more demanding than previous generations and as a population we have a ‘smarter than thou’ presence (this of course attributed to being immersed in technology since birth). More importantly, we’re adaptable to the changing times. Let’s take a closer look at the stats and psychographics around Gen Y @ work, shall we?
At age 10 not only did Kenji Jasper know he was going to be a Writer, he also began his career. He worked as an anchorman at a local television show. At 12, he began interning at the Washington Informer. Not many people can claim the same, but then again, 31-year-old Kenji is not just anyone. He has worked for NPR as a radio commentator, taught in the classroom and written several novels. His first novel, “Dark,” made both the Washington Post and New York Times’ best seller lists, and was just optioned to be made into a film by Fox Searchlight Pictures. He also Founded his own company, Words Lines and Phrases, an editorial services firm that works with clients ranging from magazines and websites to individuals. Although he has excelled in many fields, writing still remains his passion. His love of story telling is the common thread that connects all of his endeavors. Learn more about Kenji and his many projects as we feature him in this week’s Young & Professional Profile.
Violence against women is an unfortunate reality in most parts of the world, but Vickie Sides is doing all she can to eliminate it. She has served as Coordinator of the Chicago Rape Crisis Hotline, a program of the YWCA Metropolitan Chicago, since it first began. The hotline operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, providing crisis intervention over the phone and offering information and referrals to survivors of sexual assault. For the past 10 years, Vickie, 38, has grown the program from one staff person (herself) to seven. But not only does she seek to help survivors, but she also seeks to challenge the conditions that make violence against women a reality
. Through her work at the YWCA, she is active in promoting equity and eliminating oppression, in keeping with her belief that rape exists because patriarchy exists. To learn more about Vickie and the Chicago Rape Crisis Hotline, check out this week’s Nonprofit Spotlight.
Below you’ll find a quick and dirty snapshot of the Young Professional debt crisis. Have you done a good job of managing your money? Or are you just another statistic? If managing money isn’t your forte, you don’t need to feel alone
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