Today we’d like to introduce you to Brianna Davis.
Hi Brianna, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I am a Corpus Christi native and I grew up very close to my maternal grandparents. They were very active in the community and always immersed themselves in unions or community focused organizations such as the American G.I Forum and LULAC. They really instilled a mentality of “never forget where you came from and always give back.” I have been blessed to have had the ability to live in places like Houston, Texas, Oakland, California and Dallas, Texas for work and I eventually came back to Corpus Christi about 5 years ago. My background has primarily been in mental health, I’ve worked with adolescents, families, adults, incarcerated populations and those looking to rebuild their lives after being released from incarceration. As much as I loved it, I often came home at the end of the day wondering if I could do more or frustrated that I was able to come home to shelter and food but a person I was attempting to help at work was unable to because all the organizations I contacted that day had so much red tape or stated they were unable to. I had finally hit a breaking point, came home, prayed on it and decided that I wanted to be part of the solution and not the problem. The next day I put in my notice at work, called my husband from the bathroom to inform him that would be unemployed in a month. That was November 2019 and in January 2020 Esperanza de Tejas, Inc. was officially established. Since its inception, we have helped over 4,000 children and families in both Corpus Christi and Houston, Texas.
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?
I dropped out of high school and the last grade I fully completed was 8th grade. I obtained my GED at age 18. Due to the lack of high school education, it made college difficult for me and I have to complete many remedial courses which created a year and half setback in obtaining my Bachelor’s Degree.
I got many no’s before I got a few yes’ when it came to collaboration and partnerships in our community. I often found myself being judged on my appearance or background. I got comments that my lipstick was too red, my hoops too big and that I had to watch who I associated with and what I posted on social media. The constant code switching became unbearable as did the imposter syndrome. I had to constantly remind myself that I worked extremely hard to overcome barriers to get my Bachelor and Master Degree, that I had the skill and knowledge and deserved a seat at the table with other bosses, because I earned it.
COVID was a setback and made it difficult to have volunteers so myself, my husband and board coordinated and volunteered at every single event we had.
I got pregnant with twins in 2020, had them in 2021 and they just turned 1 in Feb 2022. Learning how to be a mother x2 and still be a good leader was difficult but has been possible.
Learning to say No.. saying no to business deals, partnerships and people who are not aligned with my organization and its mission. I’ve had to learn that being assertive is not a bad thing, it’s a critical skill that is needed as a leader.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Esperanza de Tejas, Inc. I have been working in the social services field for over 10 years. I am known for the work that I do in Corpus Christi and Houston, Texas. My organization focuses on fighting food insecurity by providing families with food resources and access to fresh produce. We strive to give our youth an opportunity at a fair education through partnering with school counselors, community in schools coordinators and wraparound resource specialists to meet various children’s needs such as clothing, school supplies, food, work clothing for youth parents for a job interview or hygiene products. We provide the opportunity for youth to learn leadership skills during our annual youth leadership summit. After participating, local youth are given a scholarship to assist them in reaching their academia goals. Our community liaisons teach our youth and families about the importance of overall wellness through our cooking classes, mindfulness workshops , art initiatives and online wellness tips. I have created Esperanza from the ground up with the assistance of my very supportive husband and board of directors. Myself and our team coordinate and volunteer at each event we have and it’s my mission for the people we serve to see, that WE CARE, our philosophy is Amor y Esperanza (Love & Hope). Often with other organizations, you do not see the CEO as involved as I feel I am. We take a grassroots approach to the work we do, we do not infiltrate communities we take the time to meet and listen to their experiences so we can tailor our programs to fit those communities needs.
What are your plans for the future?
We are hosting our first youth leadership summit this year. It will be a 3-day summit where our youth can learn various leadership skills, how to network, get tips on how to build their resume, opportunities to get their headshot done and have one-on-one conversations with local professionals in our community. Each youth that completes the summit receives a scholarship at our gala on the final day.
We are also launching family cooking classes where we are partnering with local young entrepreneurs Curly Girl Cooking, kids teaching kids how to be healthy. They pick local favorite dishes and recreate it in a healthy way. All families that participate will receive recipe cards all the food items needed to create that dish at their homes. We want to encourage familial bonding in the kitchen.
We are working on finding innovative ways to bring fresh produce to the communities we serve. I firmly believe that regardless of one’s socio economic status, EVERYONE deserves healthy foods to nourish their mind and body.
Having had my twin sons’ I really saw the need for more conversations about maternal mental health and how moms can get the help they need. Often after a few months of having their baby, moms mental well being are not longer checked on by their medical providers. I would really love to eventually have maternal mental health support groups in the future or find a way to partner with another organization on this.
Contact Info:
- Email: hope@esperanzadetejas.org
- Website: esperanzadetejas.org
- Instagram: sheisbriannaj (personal) | esperanzadetejas (nonprofit)
- Facebook: Esperanza de Tejas, Inc.
