Today we’d like to introduce you to Tierra Foley.
Tierra, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Tea Time Book Club was born from a deeply personal understanding of movement, transition, and the longing for connection, especially for Black women. Having lived in New Orleans, Atlanta, Texas, and now traveling regularly between Pennsylvania and Houston, I have spent much of my life rebuilding community in new places. Each move sharpened my awareness of how untethered life can feel and how intentional it must be to find spaces that truly pour into Black women rather than extract from them. Tea Time grew from my desire not only to find community, but to become a bridge for my friends and for Black women navigating similar seasons of change.
What started as four Black women meeting on FaceTime over tea, books, and honest conversation quickly revealed itself as something more meaningful. The simplicity of gathering, slowing down, and being fully seen created a space women wanted to return to and invite others into. In less than three months, Tea Time has grown to nearly 100 members spanning 22 states, 44 distinct cities, and three countries, with members reaching as far as London, Ghana, and Qatar. During that same time, our digital community grew to over 1,000 followers.
As Tea Time expanded, so did its programming and reach. By our third meeting, award winning author Farrah Rochon joined the club for a live discussion and hosted an intimate Q and A with members. We have collaborated globally, including a joint conversation with a book club in Africa, and partnered with a platform in London while reading Honey and Spice, a UK set novel. Separately, Tea Time hosted a community giveaway that received over 130 entries, reflecting the engagement and enthusiasm of Black women who were drawn to the space. Tea Time was also featured on the cover of 20Ty Club Magazine’s November issue, further amplifying the community and its mission.
Tea Time is intentionally more than a book club. It is a space designed to pour into Black women through storytelling, creativity, and care. We uplift creatives through author spotlights that introduce members to writers and their work, artist interviews and spotlights that support local Black musicians, and curated monthly playlists that align with each book’s theme while amplifying emerging artists. Tea Time is evolving into a multidisciplinary creative hub that centers Black women as both audience and creators.
At its core, Tea Time is a modern third space rooted in softness, ritual, and restoration for Black women. The name itself was chosen not for trend, but for intention, a reminder to pause, reflect, and return to yourself. The magic of Tea Time is not found in numbers alone. It is in how Black women feel when they arrive, seen, held, and unrushed.
That philosophy recently earned Tea Time a place in the Marshalls Good Stuff Accelerator Program, where it was selected as one of 40 women led businesses. As the community continues to grow, the vision remains grounded in collective rise, generosity as legacy, and the belief that when Black women create spaces for themselves, they build culture.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has not been a smooth road, even though the growth may appear that way from the outside. Building Tea Time has required constant intention, discernment, and emotional honesty.
One of the biggest challenges has been creating a space that truly pours into Black women without overextending myself in the process. Community centered work often carries an expectation of constant access, emotional labor, and availability, and I had to learn early how to set boundaries while still leading with care. Holding space for others while protecting my own capacity has been a learning curve.
Another challenge has been building structure in real time. Tea Time grew very quickly, and with that came the need to develop systems, programming, and clarity around vision while the community was already in motion. Balancing organic growth with sustainability has required patience and a willingness to adjust as we learn.
There is also the vulnerability that comes with visibility. Sharing a mission rooted in softness, rest, and connection for Black women can invite misunderstanding in a world that often values productivity over presence. Staying grounded in the purpose, even when external expectations or comparisons arise, has been essential.
Despite these challenges, each obstacle has clarified why Tea Time matters. The struggles have reinforced the importance of building something that is not only beautiful and engaging, but also sustainable, intentional, and deeply aligned with the women it is meant to serve.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Tea Time Book Club ?
My background and professional training are in biomedical engineering and research, with a focus on using education, data, and lived experience to improve the life and health outcomes of Black women. That foundation shapes everything I build. I am deeply interested in systems, prevention, and long term impact, not just solving problems in the moment, but addressing the root conditions that affect how Black women and girls live, grow, and thrive.
In 2024, I founded my first nonprofit in Houston called Black Butterfly Effect. The organization focuses on financial literacy, personal development, community growth, legacy building, and mindful living for Black girls. Black Butterfly Effect was created to give young girls early access to tools and conversations that are often delayed or denied, helping them build confidence, awareness, and a sense of agency long before adulthood.
Alongside that work, my fiancé founded Future Kings Mentoring in Pittsburgh, a nonprofit that has been serving Black and Brown boys for several years through mentorship, leadership development, and community building. As a natural extension of that mission, I am now partnering with Future Kings to build out its sister organization, Queens Calling, where I serve as Executive Director. Queens Calling is designed to equip Black adolescent girls with the tools, knowledge, and confidence to walk boldly in their purpose through financial literacy, etiquette, self discovery, leadership development, and sisterhood. The goal is to meet girls where they are while preparing them for where they are going.
Tea Time Book Club exists alongside this work as a cultural and creative expression of the same values. While Black Butterfly Effect and Queens Calling focus on youth and structured programming, Tea Time centers Black women through storytelling, literature, art, and intentional community. It is known for creating a modern third space where Black women can slow down, reflect, and be fully seen. Through curated book discussions, author and artist spotlights, playlists, and global collaborations, Tea Time blends softness with substance and care with cultural impact.
What sets my work apart is the through line. Whether I am working in engineering, nonprofit leadership, or community building, the focus is always on pouring into Black women and girls in ways that are sustainable, affirming, and rooted in long term vision. I am most proud of building brands and organizations that value depth over performance, intention over scale, and collective growth over individual recognition.
What I want readers to know is that these platforms are not trends or temporary projects. They are interconnected pieces of a broader ecosystem committed to equity, wellness, creativity, and legacy. Each initiative exists to ensure that Black women and girls are not only supported, but equipped, celebrated, and empowered to shape their own futures with confidence and care.
What were you like growing up?
Growing up, I was an extrovert with a deeply empathetic nature. I was naturally drawn to people and to service, always wanting to help, support, and understand those around me. I stayed involved in my community early on, volunteering often, singing in church choirs, playing sports, and stepping into leadership roles as a team captain. Those experiences taught me how to work with others, lead with care, and take responsibility for something bigger than myself.
I was also intellectually curious from a young age. At sixteen, I began doing research because I was interested in becoming an OBGYN and wanted to understand women’s health more deeply. That curiosity became personal when my mother was pregnant with my younger sibling and experienced severe fibroids, a condition that disproportionately affects Black women. She required a high risk specialist, and I remember asking what the plan was and being told that the doctors would simply monitor the fibroids, even though there was concern they could endanger my brother in the womb. When I asked what caused them and was told there was no clear answer, that response stayed with me. I was not satisfied with uncertainty where Black women’s health was concerned.
That moment became a turning point. It sparked my interest not only in medicine, but in research and the tools used within it. I wanted to understand how knowledge is created, how gaps persist, and how innovation could directly improve outcomes for Black women. That curiosity ultimately led me to pursue biomedical engineering, with the intention of contributing to both medical research and the development of devices that shape patient care.
Community and service have always been central to who I am. That commitment guided my decision to become a member of Delta Sigma Theta, where scholarship, service, and advocacy aligned with my values. Looking back, the through line is clear. I have always been someone who pays attention, asks questions, and feels called to respond. The work I do now is simply an extension of who I have been all along, someone driven by empathy, leadership, and a desire to improve the lives and health experiences of Black women.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/JoinTeaTimeBC
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teatimebc/
