Episode 40: Birth the Vision. Build A Legacy featuring Nicole Lynn Lewis

Nicole Lynn Lewis is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Generation Hope, a nonprofit that provides direct service support to young parents earning their college degrees, advocates nationally for the unique needs of student parents and their families, and partners with colleges and universities to provide technical assistance in order to advance student parent success in higher ed. A former teen mother who put herself through William & Mary with her young daughter in tow, Nicole now works to change the statistic that fewer than 2 percent of teen mothers will earn their degrees before age 30. Her book, “Pregnant Girl,” will be released May 2021.

We have made it to our 40th guest☕️🔥🎉! Thank you all for journeying with us and bearing witness to the transformational power of faith in action. In this episode,  Nicole shares the moment she knew it was time to launch Generation Hope and what kept her focused and determined in the building process. We also learn what sacrifices she made in the building process and the lessons she has learned as Black female social entrepreneur and nonprofit executive. Reflecting on the stigma that comes along with teen pregnancy, especially the intersectional nuances at play for Black mothers and fathers, Nicole shares how she managed to create support and inspire champions of your work in light of an often shortsighted stigmatization. Additionally we learn the distinction between student parents and teen parents in Generation Hope’s programming and the evolution of the discourse about these two groups. It is no surprise to us that are close to the communities we serve and work on behalf that the pandemic exacerbated issues of race, racism, class and injustice. With her new book on the horizon, Nicole shares some of her biggest lessons learned in 2020, what charge she is issuing for policymakers and philanthropists alike and most importantly what keeps her hopeful.

We hold steadfast to the vision, press forward in faith and are reminded that we are exactly what the world needs as we share Forward 4O’s platform with this phenomenal WOC in the nonprofit and social enterprise sector.

Stay connected with Nicole on Twitter, LinkedIn & Instagram.Follow the work of Generation Hope on Instagram and Twitter . 

 

Follow Forward 40(4tea) on IG and Twitter @forward4tea. You can also learn more about the host Coach Faith here.