SPEAKER_01 1:45

Welcome back to another episode of the Hilltop Glove Podcast. Today we have the pleasure of speaking to Liana Calvin. Liana? Liana? Liana?

SPEAKER_05 1:55

Liana. Liana Lyon.

SPEAKER_01 1:57

Liana is a licensed social worker and the founder of the Exposure Project. She's a creative and a free spirit individual who has devoted her mental health and youth, devoted to mental health and youth development. She obtained her BSW from Tuskegee University and an MSW from Fordham University. Her success is not only attributed to her academic achievements or leadership roles, but also to the impact that she has had on each individual she has encountered throughout her life. The Exposure Project was born, which was born out of Liana's vision to develop a creative program that would help youth and young individuals understand their uniqueness and explore various career paths. Having worked with many youth in several states, including California, Alabama, New York, and Charlotte, Liana noticed a lack of knowledge among them about different career options. She aimed to change that through the Exposure Project, hoping that it would have an impact on the world like no other. With her dedicated efforts, the program has successfully helped numerous young individuals achieve their potential in exposure and explore their passions. How does it feel like hearing stuff about yourself? It feels really weird, actually. I like making people feel weird. That's pretty cool. You work hard, girl. Bowing down. Thank you, thank you. We like people who do work in the community, especially with the youth. So we appreciate that. And the fact that you're a social worker, that makes sense. So tell us a little bit about growing up. Like, are you from Charlotte? Were you born here, raised, brothers, sisters?

SPEAKER_00 3:45

Yeah, no, so I'm originally from California, born and raised. Um really? I can hear like I'm from New York and all these different places, but California, the Bay. I'm from the Bay. Um, and so after graduating high school, I went to Alabama and went to Tuskegee. Okay, and then moved. And then after Tuskegee, I was like, well, I don't want to go back home. I want to try something different. Let's try New York. And so I moved to New York. I it was really cool. I really enjoyed it.

SPEAKER_01 4:12

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 4:12

I really enjoyed it. So I lived there for about six years and then was like, oh, it's getting very expensive. You know, I want to purchase property and settle down at some point. So then I came to Charlotte. So I've been here for six years now. Can I tell you something?

SPEAKER_04 4:25

Can I tell you? I told you I'll be go for it. You're the reason why property values keep raising down here. Y'all become a problem here with that during Northeast Pay Scale and then bringing that money down here and buying our property is cheap. How you really feel. I digress. I digress. I had to bother you, had to bother you. Go ahead, girl. Go ahead. You're here though. I'm so happy you're here. You are you are excellent. Like I said, I've been following you for a couple of months. Ain't no problem. You were excellent. So you can come through. Awesome.

SPEAKER_00 4:55

But yeah. So yeah. No siblings. I have a uh cousin that's more like a sister. So I call her my custom cousinslash sister. Our little thing. But uh yeah, holy.

SPEAKER_01 5:06

That's cool. So, like being in California being raised in California, hot, living your life, best life, then coming to New York cold, and then coming down south slow. What was that transition?

SPEAKER_00 5:19

Like, so I had the little slow period in Alabama for undergrad, and I was like, well, this is too slow. Okay. And then New York, I wouldn't say New York is too fast, but I feel like Charlotte is kind of like getting a mix. So it's like, you know, City Life and then Southern Villa as well.

SPEAKER_02 5:33

It's like quick country. Quick country.

SPEAKER_00 5:35

Quick country. Quick country. Quick country.

SPEAKER_01 5:38

Uh put that as the QC.

SPEAKER_03 5:40

Oh, it is quick country. Put it on the hoodie. Oh, wait.

SPEAKER_00 5:47

I didn't have to ask this question. Like, what?

SPEAKER_03 5:49

Um, I know it's why why'd you go to Alabama?

SPEAKER_00 5:51

Tuskegee? You the way you asked it was almost to imply like that was a bad choice.

SPEAKER_03 5:56

No, I'm just it because you came from California, specifically Bay Area.

SPEAKER_00 6:00

Yeah, so I knew I wanted to go to an HBCU. Oh, that's what I alright. That means you're only a California didn't have it.

SPEAKER_04 6:06

Yeah, they don't exist.

SPEAKER_00 6:08

Specifically, I went on college tours. I like to say that I must have fallen asleep on the way to the campus because I don't remember it being nothing in the city of Tuskegee until I actually went to school there. Um, but I ended up getting a scholarship there, and the campus is beautiful. They had a good social work program, so that's why I chose. You did the right thing.

SPEAKER_04 6:26

No, I did. I wish there were some more HBCUs out west. I just know there's not. So like you're gonna have to come back this way to get an HBCU. It is what it is. Yeah, yeah. Especially coming from where you're coming from, because you're, I mean, that's Black Power Central. I know the history, so I'm like, yo, it makes sense. You gotta come back east though. Yeah, that's dope. I'm happy you came over here.

SPEAKER_00 6:44

I think I'm happy I did too. Like I wouldn't change it. I wouldn't change it at all. Cool, cool.

SPEAKER_01 6:49

Being the life of a social worker, tell us about that. Because I feel like it can be kind of stressful. I feel like every time I'm talking to someone in that field, they're like, Yeah, it's crazy, it's hectic. I want to switch to something else.

SPEAKER_00 7:00

Yeah, and that's the beauty about social work, right? So I actually just started teaching probably last month at UNCC, um, a social working communities class. Oh, cool. And I say, like with social work, you can do so many different things. So when I first started in the profession, I did foster care prevention in New York. So I work for foster care prevention programs. That was very uh, very stressful. And I'm not the best rule follower either. So, like working within child welfare system was just too much. I was like, nope, I'm leaving that.

SPEAKER_04 7:30

Because the emotionality tied to what you're seeing.

SPEAKER_00 7:35

That's part of it. And then also like the paperwork that goes into it. Like, are you actually really helping these clients or are you just kind of like coddling them as they're going to their appointments and things like that? Yeah. So I realized that was not the area that I liked. Um, and so then I went to youth development in New York and I like that area a lot. However, I didn't like working for that particular agency. So when I moved to Charlotte, the thought was, well, I want to go into youth development, but I wanted to start my own nonprofit, and I could not find any other like um youth development positions. And so only thing I can find was therapy jobs or therapeutic jobs. So I was like, okay, well, let me just do therapy. And I'm getting my license and well, no, end up working for a job and getting my hours. And I was like, well, I might as well get a license because I've been getting hours this whole time. Got the license, did therapy, and was like, eh, I love my clients, I'm great at it, but this is not the space I want to be in. So left that full time to do my nonprofit. Wow. So I guess technically I'm not in the traditional part of social work, but I'm still doing social work.

SPEAKER_01 8:36

Yeah, at heart, you're still doing it. Wow, that's good that you like when as soon as you get an idea, you pivot. That's what it sounded like. Like, oh yeah, I'm not afraid to make that change.

SPEAKER_00 8:43

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 8:44

Where's your sign?

SPEAKER_00 8:45

Aquarius. I just had a birthday two days ago.

SPEAKER_01 8:47

Oh, happy belated. Thank you. I should have asked them the last episode was their sign.

SPEAKER_04 8:51

I need to know everybody's somebody. When's your birthday? Yeah. Oh, the signal. Like we talk about it. She's she's creepy.

SPEAKER_01 8:58

It's like I'm just like intaking knowledge of people's each person's sign. So I'm like, okay, Aquarius, my mom's an Aquarius.

SPEAKER_04 9:04

I kind of got it again, Virgo. I mean, she's she's looking up all the time.

SPEAKER_00 9:09

I'm like, no, it makes sense. I mean, Aquarius, and they're very much like humanitarians and all that kind of stuff too. So, but yeah, I'm I'm a risk taker. So if I want to try something, I'm just gonna do it.

SPEAKER_01 9:19

Right. So, what's it like? How did you get the courage to full-time nonprofit?

SPEAKER_00 9:23

Like so before I made the decision, I also was a foster parent. Okay. And so when I was a foster parent, it was just becoming, and I had teenage girls. So it was becoming a lot. So between being a foster parent, between working and doing a nonprofit still, I was like, something has to give. Uh, and literally it was just a leap of faith, honestly. I was like, I'm gonna just try it. I don't really have the financial resources, but we're gonna see how this thing plays out. So we've got a year and a half into me trying it, and I'm I'm still living.

SPEAKER_05 9:51

Just a lot.

SPEAKER_00 9:52

I'm still alive.

SPEAKER_04 9:54

Congratulations. Cause I mean, especially when you're doing something that's selfless um and you're taking a financial risk. I do want to see people have a good outcome. You know what I mean? So it's it's good to see um uh uh it not turned south or sour. And it doesn't seem like you have been sour, it seemed like you're still well engaged in it, and it's still um something that you feel powerful about working towards. So um just with the exposure project, could you explain a little bit about the program, how it works, and how you all find and recruit?

SPEAKER_00 10:27

Yeah, for sure. So before I kind of go into depth about what the program is, I always kind of give a little bit of my ordinary story and why I started it. Um so having lived in California, New York, and all those places, a lot of times I will ask young people, like, what do you want to be when you get older? And I kept hearing one of two things either something in the entertainment industry from like a rapping type of standpoint, or something in the sports-related industry, especially in New York. All my kids wanted to be basketball players, right? That's New York. And so there's and again, I don't want anybody's dream, but the reality of every kid being a basketball player was probably not gonna happen, right? Um, but a lot of times, like the deeper issues, why do they want to be those things? Either they see it in their immediate environment or they see it on social media.

SPEAKER_05 11:06

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 11:06

Um, and so the thought with Birthing Exposure Project really was to allow them to see other careers, but through hands-on experiences. So Exposure Project isn't is an experiential initiative. So they get to go and shadow different industry experts. Um, so when they come in, sometimes they want to be entertainers and they shadow an entrepreneur and they're like, you know what? I think I actually want to go on an entrepreneur and shit. Um that's a little bit about how started who we are in terms of the recruitment space. So when we first started, we were in a school setting right before the pandemic. So we were at Thomas Borough Academy, we had a group of middle schoolers. Then once the pandemic happened and uh academic learning went remote, schools were not focused on out-of-school design programming. They were focused on academic things. And so we made a decision to say who really is our target population, and we wanted to be heavily in the community. Um, and so we started a partnership with Enlivion, which is the former housing authority. And so we're in a few of their communities right now. So we're in Arbor Glen, Renaissance West, and then Southside Homes. And then we also work with CMPD for their youth diversion program. So if a young person comes in, they have like a charge on their record, they can attend our program and get that charge off their record.

SPEAKER_01 12:11

Oh, wow.

SPEAKER_00 12:12

So uh so yeah, those are the entities.

SPEAKER_01 12:14

That's so cool.

SPEAKER_00 12:15

That is so dope, right?

SPEAKER_01 12:16

Build a relationship and so being in the community, um, is it still like after school or like an all-day type thing?

SPEAKER_00 12:23

No, no, no. So it still is technically after school hours. Okay. Um, I don't consider it an after-school program because we don't do like academic-based like tutoring or anything. But um essentially we go to we have three sites, we go there uh once a week, and then we do like exposure trips on the weekend, they do their career shadowing like during their spring break. And so it's a four-year, we have three program offerings, but it's like a four-year program.

SPEAKER_05 12:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 12:45

Man, that's so cool how you make time within their normal schedules too.

SPEAKER_01 12:51

And then you're you're still attending to them um on breaks and during the summer and on weekends. Yeah, that's good. Yeah, because sometimes people still get into um trouble when they got time to go to their friend house on the weekend, to their cousin house, you know. You gotta keep them because a lot of kids sometimes they're in sports year-round, but what about those kids who don't do sports year-round?

SPEAKER_04 13:12

They need them focused, engaged, yeah, for sure.

SPEAKER_00 13:15

Or even the ones that are in sports, how do you keep them well rounded, right? So considering that we're only meeting once a week, it's like, okay, do your sports and then make sure you come to us as well.

SPEAKER_01 13:23

So what's the age ranges?

SPEAKER_00 13:25

That's one. So we're middle and high school, so we are between 11 to about 18. So we have two middle school groups and one high school group right now. Okay.

SPEAKER_04 13:33

Wow. And how, um, and so you all will follow that that student, if you can, from middle school out high school?

SPEAKER_00 13:40

So because we've kind of been through different changes throughout our four years, there's gonna be a little bit of structured changes, which I'm probably gonna change it again. Right now, the kids can come back as often as they want. So if they come to us in middle school, they can still be in high school. Okay, but I'm I'm shifting that a little bit to just provide a little more structure, and they will have a particular amount of time in that type of program, and then they'll go to like an elevated version of like a specific skill set. So if they want entrepreneurship, then we are building like an entrepreneurship type of program. That's right.

SPEAKER_01 14:09

Now, this makes me think about being accessible. What about the kids that are homeschooled or want to do remote?

SPEAKER_00 14:17

Yeah, so at one point, well, during the pandemic, we did have virtual options. Um, so we had kids that were homeschooled and those type of things. Once the world opened back up a little bit, it was a little harder to engage our kids remotely. So we kind of just went purely to in-person. So right now we don't have opportunities for those that are homeschooled or um interested in remote opportunities. But again, I have a big vision for exposure projects, who's to say years to come, we won't go back to that model.

SPEAKER_01 14:44

Yeah, I can see that definitely be like you said, a whole curriculum that can be shared across different platforms.

SPEAKER_00 14:49

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 14:52

So I know um I was looking, you know, like I said, I'll be a nosy and I was looking through the different things um that you want to do with the exposure project. And I always like to see um I always like this type of thing. I don't like a lot of talking with brother out is we're looking at um different schools in our area and stuff. And I like when uh programs use like little corny little adages. I like corny additives. Because we're looking at this one, this one school man, and this principal is brother principal, he's so dope. And he has like um his um an acronym and he uses like fire of things that he wants folks to do. You all have five elements. Could you explain those five elements to us?

SPEAKER_00 15:29

Yeah, for sure. So really the six elements you may have looked at something at me, not have been updated. Yeah, that's what I'm wanting. So we have six elements. Um, so one of the elements is character development. So that's essentially when we're doing our weekly sessions. And so because I have that mental health background, very big on like recognizing what your emotions are, like how do you regulate them and those types of things, but a lot of like social emotional learning and just getting to know yourself and team building. So that's our character development piece, and then we have exposure trips. So essentially that's taking kids to see things outside of their immediate environment. For example, we've taken them to see like an opera before, they've never really stepped foot in the theater, so it's been a cool experience. Um, we do a uh parent engagement component. So when we first started, it was five elements, and then we realized we need to engage our parents, which is why we um hit the six elements. So we do kind of two major events a year with our parents. And I'm big on I don't just like talking at people, you learn through your experiences. Yeah. And so we do like a holiday bake-off competition and an art competition. So we buy like little baking kits for them, they get to create their dish, and then it's a competition on site. Less about what the food tastes like, more how do you work together and kind of build the relationship in that way. Um, so parent engagement is our another one. Then we have a service learning project that they do. So that's where they identify what's a problem in their community and how do they solve it. So we're getting ready to do that right now. But last year they said hygiene was a problem in school. So they made hygiene baskets and put them in all their school bathrooms. I thought that was pretty cool. In the school bathroom? In their school bathroom. Whoa.

SPEAKER_01 16:58

You know what's so crazy? A lot of people don't do uh community projects like that anymore. Yeah. That's so crazy. They just like went away from that or just not their main concern.

SPEAKER_04 17:10

I guess it's I'll say I'll say like this. It's sometimes it's hard to do because it's almost um, so for instance, on a governmental level, normally to find out what the community needs, that's the problem. Actually, be able to reach out, do some kind of survey or et cetera, to make sure that you're giving the community something that they actually want as opposed to what you think they need.

SPEAKER_01 17:30

Right.

SPEAKER_04 17:31

And that usually causes the problem.

SPEAKER_02 17:34

So you won't see that occur because and then another thing you gotta take in consideration too, anytime you try to do community-based programs like that, you also gotta take in tr take into account liability. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 17:44

If somebody get hurt or okay.

SPEAKER_02 17:46

Yeah, just that like I'll even give a great example of something that people you might have seen a lot that was really common back in the day. You remember back in the day, people would be able to go to a place like an Atlanta bread company or something like that, or a Panera, get the baked goods and bring them into, let's say, into a sh like into a home or shelter. Yeah, yeah, yeah. They had to stop doing that because let's say if you have someone that's in the home of shelter that has an allergy.

SPEAKER_03 18:11

Never actually been sued. It's just a I know that.

SPEAKER_02 18:14

I know that but I know, but I watched the hack or if somebody or there's some type of food poisoning or something, and so people have been so afraid to do those things because of those potentials, those things coming up. That's why a lot of stuff.

SPEAKER_00 18:26

I think that's true, but I think also as I'm listening, like it's partially how you define community too, right? So I'm thinking about like our kids when they're doing their project is what does community mean to them and what do they see as problems in like their immediate community or their school? Yeah. And so it's sometimes it may be on a you know a little smaller scale, right? Baskets is cool for their school, or they may want to give homeless um baskets or whatever kids may be. But I do agree, if you're looking at it like on a larger level of trying to do a like um some type of social impact situation, then it may be more liabilities involved for sure.

SPEAKER_04 18:56

It's like you don't want to give people peanut butter, they allergic to peanut butter. Yeah, but at the same time, they may be hungry. Yeah, because I'll just say this little thing. So, like the United States government, we do these airdrops of food to places that are experiencing famine. And one of the things, one of the turnarounds from it and the responses was we don't want peanut butter. Because we were dropping peanut butter packets. What is it? Super peanut butter, it's not normal peanut butter, it's peanut butter you eat that gives you all your peanut butter. It's that old school peanut butter, the one candy that's gray came with the peanut on it.

SPEAKER_02 19:25

But then yeah, look at the packets.

SPEAKER_04 19:26

So you just eat it, right? And it's a full meal, right? But the thing is the people are saying, Why don't you just drop a seed so that we can do what? Plant a field and then we can feed ourselves. What that started to do was change the way in which we change do our food drops. So now we don't just drop peanut butter no more. We'll drop peanut butter and seeds so that they can get something to eat until they can grow their crop can come back up. And that was smart because what do we do? We listen to what the community needed, not what we thought was necessary for them. That's why it's cool, like with the children, them understanding they know their peers and hygiene.

SPEAKER_01 20:03

Tell us like any success stories, any success stories from the kids or inexperiences with that they Yeah, yeah, yeah, for sure.

SPEAKER_00 20:10

So we call our kids game changers. I'm thinking about one of our game changers. Um, I think it was maybe last summer, summer before last. So he was a kid that came in and he was, he wanted to either do football or basketball, something sports related. And so everything he did in the program just it was sports. If they're doing a collage about their life, it's sports, it's sports. We knew he wanted to do sports. And so when we paired them up with their industry experts, we try to give them, so even my kids that want to go into sports, I'm not knocking it all the way, but let's learn about the other parts of sports, right? Like you can be an agent, you can do these things. Right. And so with him, we um we chose their shadowing opportunities that summer. So he got the personality of an entrepreneur. He's like he's a good talker, he can sell you on something, like I'm partnering you with somebody. He's like, I don't want to do it, I'm not going. I don't care. I was like, well, I'll just give it a try. So with some gentle nudges, he decided to go and you know, shadow his entrepreneur, uh, entrepreneur person. And so all the kids knew like he did not want to do it. So when he came back, the kids were like, Well, how did it go? Like, they knew he was just gonna bat talk it. He was like, I'm not gonna lie, I think I want to be an entrepreneur now. And he stayed with us for about a year and a half, and he's still with us now, and that's still his desire to see the entrepreneur. So we try to pair him with different that's a success story.

SPEAKER_01 21:24

You need to put that in your data, you know. You change you need his testimonial. Yeah, testimonial. Testimonial.

SPEAKER_02 21:29

Yeah, you know what I think I love about that is the fact that it's a career exploration activity, but you but it's on the students or the young person to make that decision from their experience. It's not like you told them, hey, you need to be an entrepreneur, right? You just provide the opportunity for them to be able to be exposed to and then they because they're an expert away.

SPEAKER_00 21:51

For sure.

SPEAKER_02 21:51

That's awesome.

SPEAKER_00 21:52

And I think a part of that too is like we're very like family type of um nonprofit. So learning the kids' personalities, right? So for me to say, okay, I'm even gonna pair with an entrepreneur, I knew how he kind of operates, and that's the same with all of our kids.

SPEAKER_04 22:06

Man, I I man, that's so dope. I and I have to ask this because you're you're talking about this, and I like they said family environment. Could you explain the importance of volunteers to your organization? Because I always I always ask this about these things. These we aren't talking about no high-paying job at at Bank of America. So could you explain the importance of those folks in your board and how they cope?

SPEAKER_00 22:27

For sure. Absolutely. So us being a smaller, actually, somebody's standing to reframe from saying smaller. No, us being a growing nonprofit. Yes, um, we are very much grassroots-led. And so with that, you know, our finances are, I won't even get into that yet. Volunteerism is very important, right? Thank you. Yeah, that is truly what makes our organization go. If it is from being on the board to coming weekly and doing the sessions, if we have these big one-off events, like we really thrive on volunteers being a part of the organization.

SPEAKER_01 22:57

Yeah, who can volunteer?

SPEAKER_00 23:00

Yeah, so really anybody. So how the how it works is on our website, we have a little volunteer link that you can sign up, and then we'll have kind of a one-on-one interview just to know everybody individually because people have unique skill sets. Um, and so after we have that meeting, we'll then kind of decide what area they'll go into. We have some people that are more long-term committers, so we have like once a month, an event planning committee, a fundraising committee that we meet. Um, and then we have some volunteers that they want to do a one off event. So if we have one big event, they'll come there. Or if we have regular like chaperoning trips and things, and we'll put them in that area. Just depends on each person's okay, their time commitment and what they want to do.

SPEAKER_02 23:35

Oh, I did have a question. So I was on the site and I was looking at um the potential sites. Is are those sites that would um offer their space for you all to use for programming, or is that for so For uh, I guess the career exploration activity.

SPEAKER_00 23:49

Yeah, so the sites will be more program-based. So for example, like right now I mentioned we're partnering with N Libyan, so we're heavily in community-based settings. So Nlivia is one, you know, entity, but let's say another organization is like, hey, we would like to do an exposure project here. We have a set of kids that needs it, and we're gonna talk about potentially putting um one of our programs on their site.

SPEAKER_04 24:10

Another question. Um just um always have this question when you're dealing with with nonprofits. Um specifically so that our audience can have some understanding of this because of what our podcast is about. It's about educating people on how these things operate and how they work so they understand if they want to do something like this in their community, wherever they are, maybe in the middle of Wyoming, they can realize certain steps they have to take.

SPEAKER_00 24:31

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 24:31

Could you explain how you all use your board? How's how is it utilized and how did you put your board together?

SPEAKER_00 24:38

Yes, that is a good question. That is one of the nonprofit woes sometimes, right? Um, because the board essentially is your governing body, right? Like people don't understand that even as an executive director, as much as I love Exposure Project, the board can decide that I'm not the best fit and my nonprofit is removed from me. Exactly. Um, so in terms of our board, we do have a working board, um, and it has kind of gone through transitions throughout the years. So when first putting it together, I was very intentional about not having friends and family just because of how I wanted it to flow. So in thinking about having a diverse board, I wanted someone that had a financial background, someone that had a business background, somebody that was in the community, someone that had a tech space tech background. Um, and so that was the original kind of still is to this day, original thought. Um, and so we use our board similar to how I said volunteers earlier, what is their skill set? I have one person that they're great in the business side, one person knows legal. So we have a legal question we're gonna ask him, one person that is in the community. So um, yeah, I hope they answered the question.

SPEAKER_04 25:39

No, it didn't, and even better than this, even better than that question. Oh, it's a little you'll see about the do you uh do you pay your board?

SPEAKER_00 25:48

You cannot pay your board as a nonprofit. So when you think about the concept of a nonprofit, it belongs to the community, right? So it's not like your traditional business setting where you're like you have stake in the nonprofit and now you're getting 20%. No, you're doing something out of the kindness of your heart essentially to help the community, and so you are not supposed to pay your board members to get that said, but that was good though. That was good.

SPEAKER_04 26:12

That makes sense because a lot of folks who listen to the podcast, they have these ideas about certain things and the way that um nonprofits work and how boards work and the um actual um purpose of a board and what those members do. And I know that a lot of people don't realize that. And they think that when they join as a partner or as a board member for a program, et cetera, and they may be thinking, Hey, I want to go and help these folks out. They're looking to get some kind of recompense for it, right? Your duty is to be a giver in that position, and that's hard for a lot of people understand. So when you're choosing your board, like I like what you said, you want to choose people that have specific skills that understand it, and that's why it's sometimes good for you not to choose family members or et cetera.

SPEAKER_00 26:55

Yeah, no, that's very true. And I think a part of like when board members are coming on, it's educating them on what does it look like to be on the board, right? And every nonprofit, I think we were talking about this earlier, every nonprofit's board looks completely different. Like, yes, there is guidelines that you should go by, but understanding, like, listen, you have the fiduciary responsibility. So if something happens, it's gonna fall back on you. But also, good nonprofits should know that I have to have insurance to cover my board so that they will be okay if something does happen. Um, but I think my board now is realizing like, oh, this is this is some serious.

SPEAKER_02 27:27

I'm like, yes. Yes, so I asked you. Well, so the next question I have, kind of um um adding a little bit to the board side. So, because you guys have been around for a couple years now. Do you um are there still people that are currently on the board now that were there at the beginning, or has that evolved and changed, the people coming on and off the board since yeah.

SPEAKER_00 27:50

So two-part answer. One, we set up our board to be a rolling board. And so every um we do three-year cycles. So every three years they can roll off, they can serve another term. Um, we do that because you know you have nonprofits that have had the same board for 20 years as well as have the same work, like it's running the same way. Like, where's your advancement? But again, this is your bylaws how you want to set it up. Um, in terms of our original founding board members, we don't have any of the original members. We have one that has been on for a really long time, like close at the beginning, um, but none of the other ones are the original members.

SPEAKER_04 28:23

Okay. Oh, that's interesting. And that refreshing of the board is something that I would hope that our representatives and government do too, because it allows for you to have a more effective outcome. Up here, look at this.

SPEAKER_01 28:37

I don't know if they know this by now.

SPEAKER_04 28:38

I just said it. I'm telling you, man, I'm looking at y'all community impact report though. And um man, CovJ is dope. Um, I like how you put it, how it's put together, but how it shows what you all did um and are affecting your um community. One of the things I thought it was cool, and um, I just want to ask this because I know we talked about specific um pathways and stuff, it's just STEM. Um have you seen a a large attachment by any um students to STEM and how are you all reaching out into the STEM world? Because I do see biomedical forensic science up here. Um and I was just wondering, do you see that as are are are the children and and the actual participants in the program are they interested in STEM?

SPEAKER_00 29:23

Yeah, I think so. I think about one like our kids and kind of we've had some kids that have been with us for a long time. We have new kids kind of every year. So I'm thinking about the kids we have right now. I think a lot of them are interested in STEM. Um, we don't specif uh we don't specifically have like a STEM-based program. Okay, but what we try to do is if we find that they're interested in that field, then when we're having their um their shadowing to pair them with somebody in that space. And we're also big on other programs too, right? So if we know that this person has a program that is purely towards this, we're gonna encourage our kids to be a part of everything. So, like, for example, right now, so you guys are you familiar with Do Grader here in Charlotte? No, no, really dope organization, really dope space too. Um, but they are having an entrepreneurship um program. So we like have a good amount of our kids doing that program with them as well. So it's not just they would exposure project, it's let's make sure you got everything you need.

SPEAKER_05 30:16

Collaboration idea.

SPEAKER_00 30:17

Yeah, yeah, cross-pollinate, man. Gotta make sure these flowers grow. Because we also recognize that we can't do everything as well, right? So as we know what our strong suits are and we know that if we can't do it, then let's figure out, find somebody that can't do it.

SPEAKER_01 30:29

What areas are you looking to expand the exposure project?

SPEAKER_00 30:34

So definitely I laugh because it goes back to the money thing, right? So I know that we know this is a world of unlimited resources and things like that. And I feel like sometimes in this space that I'm sometimes begging for pennies. And so I'm like, I gotta figure out what is a revenue model that like helps us type of thing. And it goes kind of to what I'm going to say. And so one of the things we really want to build out is an entrepreneurship-based program. And by doing part of that is by having a youth-led food truck. And so with a youth-led food truck, the children get to one learn about not just the culinary industry, but you're talking about marketing, you're talking about business, you're talking about food photography, and these different things. Um, but then also, you know, it's a revenue generating model for us as well. So that's one of the ways we kind of want to grow out the entrepreneurship arm.

SPEAKER_01 31:20

Oh, I love this.

SPEAKER_00 31:21

That's an amazing idea. I love this.

SPEAKER_01 31:23

Girl, you're doing some amazing things.

SPEAKER_02 31:24

That's an amazing idea. That's so smart. Seriously.

SPEAKER_01 31:27

You're just putting them, you're, you're organizing them at a so young age.

SPEAKER_02 31:30

Like catch them early.

SPEAKER_01 31:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 31:32

When you need to. And I've seen that done before. So um, so my um previous um job, um, they actually um at the Department of Juvenile Justice, uh, they actually had a food truck by one of the um alternative programs, and they would come down once a month and set the food truck up out at the gates, and the kids actually ran the food truck. And it's it really works. That's an awesome idea.

SPEAKER_00 31:56

It's hands-on experience, too, right? Kids want to actually get out there and do things, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 32:00

And that's the I think that's the best way for them to learn and to engage with each other. It's hands-on, and it's more community, it's community-based. Like, I'll help you, you help me.

SPEAKER_04 32:09

Sure. And then they get to see how to engage their community too. I know how to best um reach out and communicate um with them. But man, I will tell you, man.

SPEAKER_01 32:18

We have to come check you guys out.

SPEAKER_00 32:19

Like, we have to I want to come check out. Listen, we actually have so March 9th, we do an experiential youth summit. Um, and so with the summit, we try to do so. We're gonna do something a little bit different this year. Um, but this year's theme is um it's a career mystery summit. So we're doing a play and murder mystery, but in a kid appropriate way. Um, and so with that day of the kids like engaging in different workshops and stuff, they'll have to like figure out clues. But one way that we want to engage people to understand like who we are is we're gonna do mystery tours. So it allows you guys to like come in and see like what exactly are our kids actually doing, like an exposure project. So March 9th, if you guys are available, that's the time to come check us out. Pull up. Pull up.

SPEAKER_03 32:59

Oh, I of course I always like bother keep bothering you real quick. I got your hand.

SPEAKER_04 33:04

Um growth. And I asked this because even us with what we do, looking at growth. Your yearly growth since um starting looks good. And I'm looking at numbers.

SPEAKER_05 33:20

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 33:21

And could you explain how you're able to reach such a growth, um, growth number? I I think I have an understanding of how you did it, but if you could explain that for our audience, again, it's more so a learning thing so that they can understand like the background and logistics of how this works.

SPEAKER_00 33:35

Yeah, for sure. For sure. For sure. Yeah, we're still figuring it out too. So this answer is just based on what I know right now, right? So good. Um, but I think when we started out, like it was we started with nothing, right? It was more of like asking friends and family, hey, can you ask me some money to start this type of thing? And when we first started, it was more so proof of concept. Here's what we want to do. Let's make sure that it actually works, that it's effective. And so we didn't have a heavy emphasis on like soliciting funds during that time. Gotcha. Plus, in the beginning, when you're talking about nonprofits, it's a matter of proving yourself. People are like, yeah, that's cool. But yeah, you're helping kids. We don't have to school programming, sure. Um, and so then as time goes on, time went on, really, it's about how do I build that social network, right? So, like, who do I know in the community space? Um, and then we were blessed to get a um, to be honest, will open up doors for us because we got a grant through United Way. And with the grant, it is essentially black-led nonprofit leaders, and they pay for us to go through like a nonprofit um certification program. So through that, they're teaching you about like board development or teaching you about like employment laws and like all these different things. Um, so through that opportunity, again, people give you money if they realize somebody else gave you money. So it's like, okay, so you got this grant for United Way. Well, let's let's give you you guys, it must be relevant, right? So um tapping into kind of those community res or community grants. But then also when I reached out to and Libyan or reached out to the community organizations, it was hey, we have this dope program, let me give it to you for free to see how it is, right? And then it was now let's you know talk about a contract. And so we have a contract with us as well. Yeah, yeah, you're right. They know what they're doing.

SPEAKER_01 35:06

You're just helping us because you're just confirming that we're doing what we're doing, we're supposed to be doing that.

SPEAKER_04 35:13

And and a further question, yeah, in that in that vein. Um, so who helps you write grant applications? Like who helps you because this is again another thing people need to understand.

SPEAKER_00 35:23

So when it comes to writing grants, it's that's it's such a like touchy subject, right? Because we've had we've hired grant writers. Uh-huh. And when I'm hiring a grant writer, I'm very big on what is the time that you're taking to get to know who we are as organization. Okay. And so a lot of times, just in full transparency, I'll give them all the information that I've written and wrote before, and they'll kind of just take it and copy and paste. I'm like, well, I could have wrote that myself. AI generated it, so honestly, AI generation is helping with writing grants. So I write most of our grants right now. Like so the ones that we've got is the ones that I've wrote. Now, I don't want that to continuously be the situation. Like I want to have a grant writer that you can trust. Yeah, but um right now it's kind of bit myself. You are plusing your.

SPEAKER_01 36:10

So that's one thing you're looking for is a grant writer.

SPEAKER_00 36:13

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 36:13

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 36:14

A great grant writer.

SPEAKER_04 36:15

No, but I hey man, I appreciate the honesty. I like how because again, these are things that people who listen to our show, they're like, Y'all listen to it because when y'all talk to people, it's not just some salacious stuff. You're talking about real things, actual machinations, how things work behind the scenes. So to let them hear this like, I'm gonna have to know how to do this or find this.

SPEAKER_00 36:35

For sure. And with that, I think another misconception of nonprofit space is that you can run fully on grants.

SPEAKER_04 36:40

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 36:40

I forget the statistics, but I think it's something like 11 to 13% of your funds should be grant-based, the other should be other revenue um sources. A lot of times people are like, I'm gonna start a nonprofit, I'm gonna get all these grants, and I'm gonna be good. It's like, no, you're wrong.

SPEAKER_01 36:53

So if 11% is only grants, what are the other generating revenue besides what you said about the food?

SPEAKER_00 37:01

What are the other great questions? So before I answer that, right, fundraising. So there was um every year there's a US report that goes out of where philanthropy or philanthropy philanthropy, can't say the word philanthropy dollars go. And it's a breakdown of these different areas, right? And so it has on there, like your foundation, so your grants, it has your individual donors, it has your corporations, like you're getting sponsors, and it has um one other area. And the largest amount, which was 66%, was individual donors. And so that is from your fundraising. Yeah, major donors, that's where you're getting a lot of your funds from.

SPEAKER_01 37:35

And that's where you would need your numbers and stuff like that to show them. Yeah, okay.

SPEAKER_00 37:40

Yeah, and it really depends on the person, right? So that's where relationship comes into place as well. Because the person, some people that have money, they don't really care about the numbers. It's like I just want to help some somebody do something good here, take a million dollars.

SPEAKER_01 37:52

And then they can write it off. That's what I'm saying. They can write it off too.

SPEAKER_04 37:54

Okay, it's not like the man, then people want to hide their money.

SPEAKER_01 37:57

Well, thank you for clarifying all of that for me.

SPEAKER_04 37:59

It will be a nice place for you to hide your money. That's all you gotta tell them. Yeah, I'm a nice place for you to put your money.

SPEAKER_00 38:05

Oh no, for sure, right? They want to write a tax write off. I got no problem with that.

SPEAKER_04 38:10

That selfish need is good for me. I will take it. Atlas Shrugged. Yes. Self-serve, self-serve.

SPEAKER_00 38:17

But then to that point, because we're going through this with our governance committee, is having gift acceptance policies as well, right? So it's also who are you accepting money from? What are the you know, guidelines around that? And it's easy when you don't have money, like I'm just taking from the city.

SPEAKER_04 38:31

Take it for anybody no matter what they post on their Facebook, no matter no matter what their organization do.

SPEAKER_00 38:35

Leave those chicks alone.

SPEAKER_04 38:36

Stop slaughtering them. Like, it don't matter. I'm taking their money tyson chicken farm. But um, yeah, yeah, I understand. Um, because I mean, you all are, I mean, I say that all in jest because I try to make light of the situation, but uh, I always think that's important for people to realize that those real people who give and donate money, because I'm looking at y'all and I say, All these names.

SPEAKER_00 38:58

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 38:59

And I'm like, you have to have good contacts. And so with you coming here and being from outside of the community, my thing is this was it very hard for you to get out in the community and build that network.

SPEAKER_00 39:14

I don't know if I would say very hard. I think at the beginning, I kind of was just in my own like little silo. I was like, oh, well, this is what I want to do. Like, I wasn't really thinking about connecting with others. And I think once I realized, like, I can't do this alone. Like, I need help. Uh, I think now I'm more in the community space, right? And like being in different programs, going to different events. And so it isn't hard. Like, I like people, I like talking to people. I'm very like an authentic person. So um, but I think starting out the difficulty was just trying to figure it out and trying to do it alone. Are you an introvert or extrovert? I don't know. I've been battling with that lately because I like to say that's all I'm asking.

SPEAKER_04 39:51

I'm trying to read your personality.

SPEAKER_00 39:52

Yeah, I don't know. I think some days I'm an introvert and some days I'm an extrovert. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 39:58

It makes sense. Whatever it is that you need to do. Pretty much.

SPEAKER_01 40:03

She flow like water.

SPEAKER_04 40:05

Whatever it is. Yeah, we can cut that.

SPEAKER_01 40:07

We got that. That's a good drop.

SPEAKER_02 40:10

What do you mean? That's what we're gonna keep. That's what we're saying. We're gonna cut that or we're gonna use that one.

SPEAKER_01 40:17

So um, where can people find you on social media and stay connected with the exposure project or if they wanna for sure or donate?

SPEAKER_00 40:24

Yeah, please, please donate. We love monetary donations and in-kind gifts. Yes. Um, on our website, exposureprojectinc.org or on social media exposureproject underscore inc on Instagram. I think TikTok as well. But yeah. TikTok. We're trying to get in that space. TikTok. Is that hard?

SPEAKER_04 40:44

Is that hard? Yeah, the kids want to do it, right?

SPEAKER_00 40:46

The kids want to, so the thing is the kids want to do a lot, and I'm like, sure, we can do everything. I'm down. But I also am like, we got to make sure that we're putting things out there that truly represent us. So it takes time to thinking about what type of content. But I have kids that really love that area. So I'm like, okay, you're gonna take the lead. So let's build out a content calendar. What are we putting out there? How are we gonna do that?

SPEAKER_01 41:05

I love the way you structure stuff. Just like, uh-uh, we're not just gonna wing it. We're gonna structure.

SPEAKER_03 41:12

Exposure project. That's a very good thing. Yeah, we're too hard at building your own page.

SPEAKER_01 41:22

That's so man. Definitely keep us informed of you know how we can help and support you. Um, you know, send us the flyer for the event March 9th.

SPEAKER_04 41:29

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 41:30

Let us know if you need any for a show or promoting. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_04 41:33

Yeah, because we know a few people. We'll make sure that they come by and please do get those donations. Yes. Well, I appreciate you being here today. Thank you for letting me bother you.

SPEAKER_00 41:44

Yeah, thank you for bothering me.

SPEAKER_04 41:46

That's what I'm here to do, man. That's what I'm here to do. I enjoyed it. I was a little nervous.

unknown 41:50

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 41:50

I wasn't bad though, was I?

SPEAKER_00 41:52

No, not at all.

SPEAKER_04 41:53

Okay, that makes you feel good. Excellent. Because you're all good and professional. I ain't trying to mess you up, girl. I don't know what's not. Keep you on you. There you go. That's what I'm talking about. Well, um, from the Hilltop Club podcast, I'm DJ and what Tamaya in front of the camera. And there we go. This is our this this is our excellent group. We're so happy to have Miss Liana from the Exposure Project with us today, our esteemed guest. We're gonna want to have you back again soon, and hopefully we'll be able to join you and actually see what the program does. That'll be even better. Um, so we can give some more exposure to your project.

SPEAKER_01 42:29

Wow, that should be tagged on it, right? We hot in the day.

SPEAKER_04 42:35

Um, other than that, I always like to tell people please let somebody next to you know that you love them, you care for them, you cherish them. Um, and keep listening to the podcast. Share with your folks. Make sure you uh give us likes on uh YouTube and all those other little places like Instagram and Spotify and all that good stuff. And until the next time peace.