Today we’d like to introduce you to Tiara Robinson.
Tiara, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
When I was a teenager, I had the opportunity to teach at a young girl’s camp, Just Us Girls. I shared with them my love of dance and the arts, but our conversations quickly evolved into life talks and nurturing the mind, body, and spirit. I am fortunate to have been exposed to different cultures, experienced the performing and visual arts, and received the best education — all of which played a vital role in shaping me into a well-rounded individual.
After my experience with the girl’s camp, I began to think about the young ladies who do not have the opportunity to attend camp, become a debutante or have a mentor. I do not believe that a young ladies’ socioeconomic status should stand in her way of life-changing experiences. I created L.A.C.E to eliminate that wall and give all young ladies the opportunities that I grew up with!
Has it been a smooth road?
Most of my struggles have been internal. I graduated in December 2015 with a bachelors in Business Admin (Major Accounting) and Master’s in Accounting (Audit) and received an offer for a full-time position with Ernst and Young. At the time I knew accounting wasn’t where my heart was, and it wasn’t going to make me happy, BUT I kept going because I was afraid of what people might say.
I worked for EY about a year and a half, and it wasn’t a day I can remember that I didn’t cry. I finally decided that I was done letting my fears control my life and made that jump from a well paying full-time job to nonprofit around September 2017. October 2017, I started working with my first elementary school providing them with a full 10-week after-school program. The moment I decided to just go for it, is when LACE began to grow.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
L.A.C.E seeks to develop, inspire and empower young ladies with the use of educational programs, mentoring interactions and once in a lifetime opportunities. L.A.C.E wants to provide our young ladies with a safe haven that allows them to focus on mental, spiritual and physical health. Once entering L.A.C.E, our young ladies will be exposed to programs that aid in developing self-worth and discipline. These programs include (but are not limited to) the cultural arts, etiquette training, career building, nutrition, and self-awareness.
L.A.C.E reaches the young ladies in inner-city communities that are not afforded the opportunity to expand their cultural horizons. We understand that it is important for young ladies to not just excel in school, but to create a foundation that allows them to thrive in this society. The young ladies (and their families) that participate in any of the L.A.C.E programs will not be asked for monetary contributions. L.A.C.E will supply all materials, and fund all activities.
During LACE’s first year of conception (February 18, 2017), we partnered with G4K and Frazier Cares to equip Dallas ISD students, The Love for Kids Organization, and Ada’s Place with over 500 backpacks to help prepare them for the 2017-2018 school year.
On December 9th, 2017, 20 young ladies from Felix G Botello Elementary School graduated from our 10-week after-school program intensive. Each week the young ladies completed a 30-minute study hall before moving on to that week’s self-development lesson. After all their hard work, the young ladies were rewarded with a formal dinner, their certificate of accomplishment and a crown fit for a princess.
In June, LACE was invited to participate in the 2018 GEMS Camp. The GEMS Camp is a holistic STEM program designed to help urban girls shine with guidance from industry professionals. Their mission is to build confidence in urban teen girls in five core areas they call the 5 Karat Gems – Academics, Career, Creativity, Leadership & Service– so that they will be successful in STEM studies and careers. LACE had the honor of teaching the “Be a GEM” session each day in which the young ladies discussed health, career building, and etiquette.
On December 8, 2018, we had our second class graduate from our 10-week after school program intensive from Felix G Botello Elementary School. We noticed that our young ladies took on a strong passion for dance so instead of our usual graduation dinner, we rewarded the young ladies and their parents with free tickets to see The Nutcracker presented by the Texas Ballet Theater.
On October 27, 2018, LACE had it’s first ever networking event, The LACE Sip, and Social. The LACE Sip & Social brought together 40 professional women to explore business connections, exchange ideas, and hear from a few of Dallas’ most influential entrepreneurs and business women. We will also have a few small black-owned business vendors, a silent auction, and of course, a few giveaways. Our speakers included: Rachel L. Proctor (Mayor Pro Tem – Desoto), Tiffani Robinson (Founder of JancynCo), LaTanya Cooper (Founder of Truth Bookkeeping Services), Brittney Hall (The Engineering Yogi) and Kian Hervey (The Founder of 40 Magazine)
We have also had the opportunity to participate in community service projects such as The Heart Walk, hosted by the American Heart Association, and The Hunger Project, an organization committed to the sustainable end of world hunger. (We have also worked with groups such as the Delta GEMS Camp and Rosa Parks Elementary (Sister 2 Sister) to provide one-day etiquette classes that focus on professionalism and Fine Dining
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
I do believe our city is a good place for businesses like LACE because there is a need in our community (for our youth) that has yet to be tapped into yet. Dallas alone has students falling through the cracks, and they are teaching them how to pass state exams without emphasizing the importance of creating well-rounded individuals that not only can ace an exam but can walk into any professional setting and hold their own.
Contact Info:
- Address: 2633 Mckinney Ave Ste 130 | 360 Dallas, TX
- Website: www.foreverlace.org
- Email: contactlace@foreverlace.org
- Instagram: foreverlace_org
- Facebook: ForeverLaceOrg
- Twitter: foreverlace_org
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