The John Wesley Johnson Legacy Fund is deeply personal. How has honoring your father’s legacy shaped your understanding of leadership and service?
Honoring my father’s legacy has taught me that leadership is service in action. My father believed deeply in creating opportunities and opening doors, especially for those who might not otherwise have
access. He was committed to community in a way that was lived, not performative, and that example has stayed with me. Carrying his work forward has been incredibly important to me. The John Wesley Johnson Legacy Fund is my way of continuing what he started—ensuring that his impact didn’t end with his life, but lives on through opportunity, access, and education for generations to
come. Through this work, I’ve learned that leadership isn’t just about what you build in your lifetime, but what you are willing to steward and sustain long after you’re gone.
When young women look to you as an example, what do you hope they understand about power that isn’t visible on the surface?
I hope they understand that the most meaningful forms of power are often invisible. Power is built in quiet moments—how you prepare when no one is watching, how you advocate for yourself, how you set boundaries, and how you respond when things don’t go as planned. Those moments shape your confidence long before anyone applauds your success. I also hope young women understand that power isn’t always loud or immediate. It’s patient. It’s disciplined. It’s the courage to trust yourself and define success on your own terms, even when that path looks different from what others expect. Real power comes from consistency, self-respect, and the willingness to choose yourself over approval. What you see on the surface is often the result of years of unseen work. I want young women to know that their power doesn’t need validation to be real and that self-trust is one of the strongest forms of power they will ever develop.