Educate. Develop. Mentor. Empower!
Jewell Jackson McCabe
Emerging Leaders Institute, Inc.
Jewell Jackson McCabe
Emerging Leaders Institute
Board of Directors
Champions/Coaches/Mentors
Collaborators/Team Builders/Leaders
Know as Ivana, The Confidence Architect™, V. Ivana Foster is co-founder of ELI and founder and principle life coach of The Confidence Architect™ Coaching, Consulting & Development Practice. As a certified life coach and Prepared Enrich relationship counselor, author and motivational speaker with over 20 years of combined training and experiences; Ivana continues to provide aggressive life, relationship, & emotional wellness coaching services to adults, couples, families, and groups to help each achieve their short- and long-term goals.
Ivana serves on the Board of Directors of Women Healing Women, Inc., a 501(c) 3 organization is committed to the holistic healing of women survivors of sexual and domestic violence.
An avid blogger of Consciously BEING, Ivana is a frequent guest speaker and instructor on the topics of beliefs systems, relationships, LGBT empowerment, work/life balance, and self-actualization. Ivana's practice and community work was also featured in the 2012 People You Need to Know Women’s Magazine and received the Best of 2012 of Atlanta, as well as in the 2012 edition of Successful Black Business Women Online Directory.
Dashawn Mayweather is a co-founder of ELI. Ms. Mayweather is a Senior Instructional Designer at a leading healthcare IT company. Ms. Mayweather earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice from Grambling State University and her Masters in Management with a concentration in Leadership & Organizational Effectiveness from Troy University.
Lynita Mitchell-Blackwell is a co-founder of ELI, CEO of the Leading Through Living Community, Editor-in-Chief of BOLD Favor Magazine, a Motivational Speaker, #1 Best-selling Author of three books, and host of "Leading Through Living Today" TV show.
Lynita is an Attorney, CPA, Certified Christian Life Coach, and committed servant leader who utilizes her education, expertise, and network to encourage, equip, and champion people to be successful leaders. Lynita has been recognized by the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation with the President's Call to Service Award and Black Enterprise Magazine as one of its "BE NEXT 35" Young and Bold Business Leaders.
She is married and mother to one daughter.
Deborah M. Williamson is a co-founder of ELI and served as its first Executive Director. She is currently a Senior Human Resource Generalist - Employee Relations at AC FIRST/AECOM/GSS in Afghanistan. Ms. Williamson obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology at Argosy University.
Committed
The Board of Directors of the Jewell Jackson McCabe Emerging Leaders Institute is the governing body of the organization. Committed, enthusiastic, and professional, the people who serve on the ELI board guide each division to educate, develop, mentor and empower more women and girls . We are very grateful for their service.
David C. Butler is the Compliance Coordinator at Atlanta Public Schools Afterschool Programs as well as the Program Administrator for the 21st Century Community Learning Center (CCLC) Afterschool Program. This program is the only federally-funded afterschool initiative in place across the country and provides enrichment and academic support to those schools with an identified need towards students from low socioeconomic backgrounds. He served in the United States Army for six years earning the rank of Captain with two tours to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
David enjoys volunteering as an AAU basketball coach and serving as a mentor at Bethune Elementary in their M.A.L.E. academy. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice from Georgia State University and two Masters in Education - one with a concentration in Educational Administration and the other a concentration in Children's Literacy Development from Trident University.
Jewel Anderson is the Founder of VIRTUOUS Career Services which is a non-profit organization that provides career counseling and job readiness to those that need it. She is also the Career and Alumni Services Specialist for Year Up Atlanta where she meets an 85% outcome for placing students in IT related careers.
Civically, Jewel serves as the Resume Evaluator for Diversity Career Expo's, and a partner for The Bethel Center which is an organization that works with young girls from ages 12-25. She is on the fundraising committee for BCOP (Beverly Cunningham Outreach Center), Secretary for National Coalition of 100 Black Women Decatur/DeKalb, a founding member of Under30CEO- Atlanta chapter, and President of the Georgia State University Collegiate Entrepreneur Organization.
Jewel holds an Associate of Arts in Communications from Georgia Perimeter College, and is currently attending Georgia State University where she is pursuing a B.S. in Public Policy with and emphasis in Non-profit Management.
Sonji Willingham is the founder and CEO of Premiere Transitional Services, a behavioral assistance and intensive family intervention organization; and Premier Phase 2, a non-profit dedicated to supporting domestic violence and human trafficking survivors.
Sonji gladly shares her wisdom as a speaker, business coach and columnist whose work has been published in Pose, Southern Journal, and BOLD Favor magazines. She is also co-host of "Leading Through Living Today" TV show.
A dedicated Army wife, Sonji has traveled the world with her beloved husband of 26 years, and they are the proud parents of two sons.
She is a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.