Today we’d like to introduce you to Carla Lankford.
Hi Carla, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Global Girl Voyagers officially became a 501(c)(3) in 2020, but the heart of this work began long before then. My passion for supporting young women was shaped by two life-changing moments.
The first happened when I was in college. A young woman on campus—just 18 years old and eight months pregnant—tragically ended her life because she believed her worth was tied to a relationship. That loss devastated me and pushed me to run for Miss Tennessee State University, not for a crown, but so I could become a visible, trusted presence for the young women around me. During my reign, I personally met with every freshman girl on campus—hundreds of conversations over four months—to make sure no one felt unseen, unsupported, or alone in their struggles.
The second moment came in graduate school during my chaplaincy internship at a women’s prison. There I met a young woman who had purposely contracted HIV and accepted a 27-year prison sentence for a boyfriend who wouldn’t even pick up her phone calls. That encounter showed me the depth of emotional, relational, and spiritual battles many girls face long before adulthood.
These experiences shaped the vision for Global Girl Voyagers: to help girls break cycles of depression, anxiety, low self-worth, and limited identity—and to expand their vision of what’s possible.
When I studied abroad in Africa for three months as an undergraduate, it completely transformed my worldview. I realized how powerful travel can be in opening a young woman’s mind, building confidence, and grounding her identity in purpose rather than relationships, circumstances, or society’s standards. I wanted girls to experience that same awakening.
Before launching GGV, I spent years mentoring girls through organizations like GCAPP (founded by Jane Fonda) in Atlanta, the Black Women in Ministerial Leadership Fellowship, Urgent Inc. in Miami, and various youth programs in Dallas, including an alternative school for girls who were considered “at risk.” In each space, I saw the same truth: with mentorship, love, exposure, and guidance, any young woman can rewrite her story and rise to greatness.
In 2020, I brought all those experiences together and founded Global Girl Voyagers—an organization committed to mentoring girls and taking them on domestic and international journeys that broaden their worldview, strengthen their identity, and illuminate their God-given purpose.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. As a small, grassroots organization, one of my biggest challenges was convincing schools and districts to believe in my capacity. They loved my G.L.O. Up! program—Girls Learning Out Loud—but many didn’t think I had the infrastructure to serve large groups or multiple campuses, even though I had evidence-based curriculum and the skills to deliver strong social-emotional learning outcomes.
Funding was another major hurdle. Despite submitting numerous grant applications and having everything the funders asked for, I was never awarded a single grant to support the work. As a full-time mom and wife, this made things especially hard. There were times when the economy shifted, and I had to return to the workforce just to sustain my household while still trying to run the organization.
That’s actually what led me into real estate. I knew real estate would give me the flexibility and the income to self-fund Global Girl Voyagers instead of waiting for validation or approval from outside institutions. I decided that if I truly wanted to impact girls’ lives, I couldn’t wait for permission—I had to build the vision myself.
So I went back to the old-school style of community fundraising. Through God’s grace, I raised money through my personal network, Facebook, Instagram, family, and friends.
Another challenge came from seeing my ideas and programs duplicated by people and districts who had previously rejected me. While I don’t mind people using my ideas to empower young women—that’s the point—it was painful to be excluded after pouring so much into proposals, presentations, and partnerships.
Then in 2021, everything shifted when I traveled to Kenya and began working with the girls at Wings of Hope Rescue Home. Merging their stories and journeys with the girls in Dallas reminded me why I started this work in the first place. It reaffirmed that even through challenges, rejection, and lack of funding, transformation was still happening—and that kept me going.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
ans mentorship, youth leadership development, faith-based empowerment, and community transformation—both locally and globally. I’m the founder of Global Girl Voyagers, a 501(c)(3) that mentors girls ages 11–18 and exposes them to world travel as a catalyst for healing, identity formation, leadership, and purpose. We specialize in helping girls break cycles of low self-worth, anxiety, and limited vision by giving them panoramic exposure—spiritually, emotionally, culturally, and globally.
In addition to GGV, I founded Campus Kings & Queens CARES, a national initiative launched through the HBCU Kings & Queens Conference to address the invisible crisis happening among student leaders. Many college leaders look strong publicly while silently battling burnout, depression, pressure, and identity struggles. CKQ CARES provides mental, emotional, and spiritual support to help young men and women lead from a place of wholeness rather than performance.
Beyond the nonprofit sector, I am also a realtor and junior developer, helping first-time homebuyers—especially families, single mothers, missionaries, and community workers—achieve homeownership. My real estate work is grounded in education, empowerment, and wealth-building for people who often feel priced out or overlooked. I see real estate as ministry: a way to help families break generational barriers and build legacy.
What I’m Known For:
I’m known for creating safe, brave spaces where girls and young adults can heal, be seen, discover their voice, and step into their God-given identity. Whether in Kenya at Wings of Hope Rescue Home, on a mission trip, in a Dallas school, or on a college campus, my gift is bringing people into purpose-driven transformation.
What Sets Me Apart:
What sets me apart is my ability to merge faith, mentorship, travel, leadership development, and practical life skills into experiences that shift people’s lives. I don’t just run programs—I build relationships, nurture identity, and walk with people through the hardest parts of their story. I’ve raised funds grassroots-style, self-funded my vision through real estate, and built entire programs out of pure conviction long before resources ever came.
I also operate globally and locally simultaneously, connecting girls from Dallas to girls in Kenya, merging cultures, and showing them they are more alike than different. Not many organizations are doing that in a truly relational, faith-centered way.
What I’m Most Proud Of:
Of everything I’ve built, I am most proud of my daughters—because they embody the very values I teach in Global Girl Voyagers. At just 13, 9, and 6, they already walk confidently in their identity in Christ. They know their purpose, they use their voices boldly, and they understand their authority. Watching them grow into strong, compassionate young women is the greatest evidence that my work is real and that my legacy begins at home.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
My biggest advice is to recognize that mentors often already exist in your life—you just have to see them clearly. Many of the strongest mentors are the people who challenge you, correct you, and push you out of your comfort zone. Sometimes that’s a boss, a supervisor, or a leader who isn’t afraid to stretch you. When you set your emotions aside, you can often see that their intention is not to break you down, but to grow you into who you’re becoming. Correction has been one of the greatest catalysts for my own development.
I also believe in intentionally pursuing people you admire. If someone’s life, leadership, or character reflects who you want to become, reach out. Send an email, ask for a coffee meeting, invite them to lunch. I’ve done that many times, and from those simple steps came incredible relationships and wisdom that helped guide my journey.
At the same time, use discernment. Not everyone who is successful is meant to mentor you, and not everyone who shines publicly is willing—or able—to pour into others. I rely heavily on the Holy Spirit, my God-given Helper, to identify the right voices in my life. Seek out people whose values align with your purpose, whose lives reflect integrity, and who are living examples of where you want to go.
Networking, at its core, is about connection, humility, and willingness to learn. When you approach it with authenticity and wisdom, the right mentors will appear—and they often show up in ways you didn’t expect.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.globalgirlyouagers.org
- Instagram: @globalgirlvoyagers
- Facebook: @globalgirlvoyagers
- Youtube: Global Girl Voygaers
