HOW I GOT HEREHi, I’m L’Oreal
I wrote my first book when I was 6.
It was called Dinosaurs in Outer Space and it was about, well, dinosaurs in outer space. I’ve always been fascinated by stories—the ones we tell, the ones we inherit, and the ones we spend years trying to find the courage to share.
That curiosity led me to journalism, where I’ve spent two decades interviewing people, asking questions, and helping readers make sense of the world around them. Along the way, my work has appeared in publications such as ESSENCE, Fortune, SELF, New York magazine, and The Cut. What I didn’t realize at the time was that I was also learning how to help people find their own.
My life’s work is building soft places for ambitious Black women to land—and helping them rise from there.
WHAT I'M BUILDING NOWThese days, I’m less interested in building a personal brand and more interested in building a body of work:
A bookstore. A newsletter. Books of my own. Conversations that matter. Communities where Black women feel seen. Rooms where we don’t have to shrink, explain ourselves, or wait for permission to take up space.
At first glance, those things might seem unrelated.
To me, they’re all part of the same mission: stories change lives. They change how we see ourselves, what we believe is possible, and who gets remembered and who gets to imagine a different future.
Whether you're here because you read one of my books, attended a keynote or workshop, discovered Zora’s Place, subscribed to the newsletter, or simply stumbled upon this corner of the internet, my hope is the same:
That you leave feeling a little more connected to your own story. A little more certain that your voice matters. And a little less alone in carrying it.
Because the stories only you can tell are often the ones someone else needs to hear the most.
And I’m building spaces that help make that possible.
My life’s work is building soft places for ambitious Black women to land—and helping them rise from there.
I write to
As an award-winning journalist, my work has appeared in Business Traveler, The Cut, Essence, New York Magazine, and SELF. My reporting and essays examine the cultural forces that shape how ambitious women are seen — and how we see ourselves.
As an author, I write for both adults and young readers, including Stop Waiting for Perfect, Amanda Gorman: Poet and Activist, and Violet Goes Voting. My forthcoming memoir, Infertile Black Girl (Beacon Press, Spring 2027), continues this exploration — centering mental health, identity, and collective care.
ON THE PAGE
Whether I'm speaking to a room of executives, entrepreneurs, educators, or emerging leaders, I return to the same core belief: the stories we tell shape the lives we build.
My talks explore storytelling, leadership, belonging, creativity, and the courage it takes to take up space in a world that often asks us to shrink. Drawing from my experiences as an author, journalist, founder, and communications leader, I blend personal narrative, practical insight, and cultural commentary to create conversations that stay with audiences long after the event ends.
I believe our stories have the power to change careers, communities, and culture. And I believe ambition should not require self-abandonment. Through keynotes, workshops, and facilitated conversations, I help audiences reconnect with what matters most—and imagine what becomes possible when they lead, create, and live from that place.
ON THE STAGEIn September 2025, I founded Zora’s Place, a Black feminist bookstore and community hub in Evanston, Illinois devoted to storytelling, rest, and collective care. It is a physical extension of my belief that Black women deserve spaces where they are not performing, proving, or shrinking — but building, becoming and simply being.
The bookstore, my weekly newsletter, and every curated gathering I host exist for one purpose:
To cultivate a culture where women feel seen, supported, and bold enough to shape what’s next.
IN COMMUNITY
The bookstore, my newsletter, and every curated gathering I host exist for one purpose: to cultivate a culture where Black women feel seen, supported, and bold enough to shape what's next.
For generations, Black women have carried institutions, families, movements, and economies on our backs—often to our own detriment.
My work does not romanticize resilience. It interrogates it. It reframes it. And it helps craft a new definition of success — one that makes room for ambition and well-being to coexist.
Let’s Work Together
If you're looking for a speaker, storyteller, or thought partner who can help audiences think differently about storytelling, leadership, community, and the courage it takes to take up space, I'd love to connect.
Featured Books
Violet Goes Voting
Come along with young Violet as she accompanies her parents as they go to vote!
Stop Waiting for Perfect
Step out of your comfort zone and into your power.
Amanda Gorman: Poet and Activist
Learn all about Amanda Gorman, the youngest inaugural poet in U.S. history.