Born and raised in Wilmington, NC, Brenda has been vested in the community for 30+ years, building relationships and gaining the trust of the community, which allows her access to family homes and their personal issues that need addressing.

She is the first trained Community Health Worker in Violence Prevention in NC and has studied multiple forms of violence through a public health lens. She provides direct services, educational trainings, and is at tables of policy change. Several boards have summoned her presence, including:

• Cafe Fear Coalition - Executive Board Member
• Resiliency Task Force - Law & Justice Subcommittee
• Quality Life Blueprint - Executive Board Member
• Change the Channel - Executive Board Member
• MomsNMourning - Co-founder
• H.O.P.E. - Founder and Director

She managed the Voyage Youth Leadership Council, who initiated the efforts for the Portia Mills Hines Park improvement campaign, addressed city council for lights, water, and restrooms, and was thus awarded $729,000 for the design project.

She maintains relationships with organizations while creating new partnerships and sponsors. She has established a solid youth base in the city, placed in agricultural science, contributing to community gardens in the city and Youth Empowerment Solutions programming.

Lily Nicole Nichelle graduated from UNCW in 2015 with a double major in Theatre and English. Upon graduation she moved to the Northside and began her career at Thalian Hall Center for Performing Arts where she became an integral part of the theatre community via her stage management and technical direction - a position she held until the summer 2020.

In her time on the Northside, Lily Nicole became involved in as many pockets as she could fill. When DC Virgo reopened, she was a teachers’ aid as well as after school program volunteer; after Hurricane Florence ransacked the city, Lily joined grassroots efforts out of Foxes Boxes for months delivering supplies and food while checking on her neighbors - helping to make sure their emergent needs were met. When the world stopped and held their breath for 8 minutes and 46 seconds as we witnessed George Floyd’s murder in the middle of a pandemic - Lily Nicole joined the community in outrage and disgust.

For over 100 days Lily Nicole assisted in organizing peaceful protests on City Hall Steps while planning informational meetings, voter registration as well as cofounding the non profit lowercase leaders - all with the focus on what’s next??

Lily has brought her skill sets and passion to the Southside, landing at Sokoto House - a cultural community hub, where she coauthored the regional implementation of an evidence based strategy locally titled Cape Fear Community Comprehensive Violence Prevention Strategy - a viable option to combating interpersonal and structural violence here in the Cape Fear region.

She has become a community health worker in violence prevention with a focus on popular education - an avenue that allows her to combine art and activism to ensure equitable healing opportunities for her and her community at large.

As a founder of Wilmington School of the Arts, she believes art is pivotal in every day existence. Her partnerships with UNCW allows her to attack racial equity through her lived experiences as well as her training. All experience combined together give her untouchable skills that benefit the Northiside Food Co-op as well as the Arboretum - both of which she holds seats on the board, focusing on community engagement and mobilization through events.

Lily is grateful for the new career and the endless possibilities that lie ahead for the people she cares about - real change is on the horizon.

Vance is the founder and director of Advance Youth Outreach. Originally from Detroit, Vance has created programs from Detroit to Wilmington specifically for young adults with upbringings similar to his. It is his personal mission to be a positive resource for his community.

Vance is also the Director of Operations of the Sokoto House.

Mr. Robbie Carter serves on the Board of Directors as the Vice President of Advance Youth Outreach. He is also a member of the inaugural group, Sokoto House 10, the first trained cohort of Community Health Worker Violence Prevention Professionals (CHW-VPP) in the nation. His primary function for Advance Youth Outreach is to demonstrate impeccable leadership and judgement for strategic businesses and program development. Mr. Carter also ensured that AYO stays in alignment with the Cape Fear Community Comprehensive Violence PRevention Strategy plan.

Mr. Carter brings decades of intimate knowledge of what it means to be an African American man navigating the various levels of crisis and assault in America. Robbie has a deep passion for the plight of the African family in America with specific concern for young African males who grapple with the same challenges he has had to overcome.

Tracy D. Harrison is a Motivational Entrepreneur. She is also the founder of KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF ME INC, a nonprofit organization established to allow molestation survivors to heal in a safe space while unraveling their trauma. She is deeply dedicated to bringing awareness to how important it is to walk in your truth as you embark on your healthy healing journey. Tracy is also the CEO of Tribalz Fragrances & Cultural Shop. She has successfully accomplished over 20 years as a cosmetologist. She is dedicated to helping communities grow an allowing each individual to find their inner strength. She loves traveling and spending time with her children and grandchildren.

Cheintay, as a early teen has dedicated over 20 years of her life as a Cosmetologist. She has been styling doll heads and sewing as a child since she moved here from Farrell P.A. to N.C. Cheintay’s great grandmother when she would have time taught her how to sew she later was taught gardening on a blueberry farm. However, the farm life experience is what made her the dedicated person she has become today. Farming taught Cheintay team work, leadership skills also how to listen and more than anything the power that comes from your hands can heal and nourish the land as long as good energy is flowing through. Cheintay was a full time high school student while in 2002 attended Brunswick Community Collage where she received a degree in Cosmetology and part time job at the same time. Turning Headz Salon was the start of her foundation to a life time of many other salons including Fantastic Sams, Fabs Designs and Smart Style over her career. Her passion for healing individuals from relationship trauma, self inflicted, family as well as spiritual trauma is what made her decide to take a career change. Cheintay believes most of all if she can help others to encourage themselves the individual can see the beauty that was once felt was broken inside and out can be uplifted to change the mind to become more positive ( Then Let’s Do This). After a decade of life coaching/hair stylist she retired from L.A. Hair Salon March 30, 2022 to achieve her first passion teaming up with KeepYourHandsOffMe, Inc to become case manager for a non profit organization established to help victims and survivors like herself to heal and learn how to overcome the trauma to live a more healthy and joyful minded life again.