Jerrard Brown
Jerrard Brown is a servant leader, community advocate, and organizational strategist whose work is shaped by lived experience and intentional leadership. Raised in an impoverished neighborhood where many families relied on public assistance, he witnessed firsthand how systemic inequities, limited access, and unaddressed trauma impact individuals and communities.
Rather than deterring him, these experiences clarified his lifelong commitment to service and social transformation. For more than 16 years, Brown has served as a Senior Pastor, providing spiritual leadership, mentorship, and pastoral care to individuals and families navigating crisis, growth, and restoration. His ministry has consistently centered low-income youth and marginalized communities, offering counseling, guidance, and alternative pathways for personal and professional development within systems that often exclude or overlook them.
Professionally, Brown serves as the Office and Facilities Manager at Teen Empowerment Inc., where he supports organizational infrastructure, operations, and environments that allow youth leadership and development initiatives to flourish. Beyond operational leadership, he is deeply involved in training young people to use their voices effectively, helping them cultivate confidence, skill, and clarity so they can advocate for themselves and their communities with impact.
Brown has facilitated numerous workshops focused on mental health, trauma recovery, reclaiming personal agency, and adolescent healing, creating spaces that promote honesty, resilience, and emotional well-being. His approach integrates healing with leadership development, recognizing that sustainable community change requires both internal restoration and external structural reform.
Brown is a graduate of Regent University, where he earned a degree in Organizational Leadership. This academic foundation strengthened his ability to combine compassion with strategy, vision with systems, and values with execution. Brown understands that community and togetherness are not accidental outcomes, but intentional results—built through honest dialogue, accountability, and systemic change.
Today, Brown is a sought-after speaker and trusted leader, widely respected for his ability to bridge faith, leadership, and social impact. His work reflects a deep commitment to advancing Black leadership, empowering youth, and building communities rooted in dignity, equity, and hope. He remains driven by the conviction that transformation is possible when voices are honored, systems are challenged, and people are equipped to lead.
Ni’ziah Edmond
Ni’ziah Edmond is a 17-year-old artist whose world revolves around music, poetry, and purpose. As a violinist at the School of the Arts, she finds harmony in both classical strings and creative expression. Through her work with Teen Empowerment, she blends poetry and activism, using her voice to uplift others and spark conversation. For Ni’ziah, art isn’t just a passion, it’s power.