We had the good fortune of connecting with Latesha Higgs and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Latesha, where are your from? We’d love to hear about how your background has played a role in who you are today?

I strongly believe that my life’s calling is to carry out Psalms 82:3 (Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed. NIV). My deep desire to serve the underserved stems from childhood experiences, being a single teen mom and losing my brother to suicide.

I was born in Baltimore, Maryland. I’m the eldest of three children and grew up pretty much in a single parent household. My parents divorced when I was very young. Growing up in the city, I witnessed and experienced the challenges faced by many children of low-income households. However, I was very blessed to have grandparents who were active in the community and found unique ways to improve the quality of life for all its residents. My grandparents grew up in poverty but over time were able to provide a better life for themselves and their children. In turn they wanted to help others do the same. Their passion to serve others later ignited that same passion in me–like my grandparents, I too do not want to see others experience some of the challenges I had experienced or worse.

Additionally, as a teen mom–having my son at 18–I struggled to care for both he and I. His father left and moved back to the Bahamas when our son was 2. With the support of my mother’s parents and the encouragement and prayers of a few others along the way, I managed to overcome naysayers, doubters, and obstacles to make a better life for me and my son. This is why I am so passionate about serving the underserved–because I “sat where they sat.” These are the reasons that I found my non-profit, The DIVA Effect, Inc. I wanted to connect other women and girls to community resources and expose them to opportunities that would lead them to building a better life for themselves.

Not only am I passionate about serving the underserved, I’m also passionate about speaking and advocating for mental health awareness. I lost my only brother to suicide when he was just 14 years old. My sister and I didn’t receive any grief counseling and pretty much grew up trying to process his death on our own. It was later revealed to my sister and I–many years later–that not only was my brother diagnosed with a mental health condition, but my family had a long history of mental illness as well. Because of the lack of discussion surrounding mental illness in my family as well as losing my brother so young to suicide, I decided that I wouldn’t be quiet about my story and use it to fight against the stigma associated with mental illness. As a Christian, African American female, living with Bipolar 2, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and PTSD, challenging the stigma associated with mental illness in my community is not always easy, but it’s getting much better.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?

The DIVA Effect, Inc was founded on the principle of the butterfly effect which is, “one small occurrence can influence a much larger complex system”. We believe that by empowering women and girls of underserved populations, we can influence a change in the community. Our goal is to change the narrative of whole communities by first educating, elevating, and empowering the women who live in them.

It is often said that when “you know better, you can do better.” However, at The DIVA Effect, Inc., we believe that when you are exposed to better, you will then build the capacity to know better then in turn do better. This is what separates us from other organizations. We don’t just want to provide skills and tools to help our women and girls “do” better, but expose them to unique experiences and opportunities that will–once again–educate, elevate, and empower!

Getting to where we are today has not been easy. When I found the DIVA Effect, Inc. I knew nothing about starting and managing a non-profit. I sought help from many people but very few actually gave me any guidance. It took a lot of research, time, and energy but eventually I was able to launch the organization with the help of my sister, aunt, and a few close friends. However, even after launching the non-profit there were classes I needed to take as well as conduct many hours of online research to learn how to grow and build The DIVA Effect, Inc. There were a number of mistakes and hard lessons that I had to learn along the way, but both I and my organization are better for them. One of the hardest lessons I had to learn was vetting people and organizations before partnering with or investing in them. While the vetting process may take some time and careful research, the benefits of this process will uphold the integrity of your brand and business.

Despite the challenges I face, I’m very resilient and refuse to give up. The DIVA Effect, Inc. is more than a dream of mine but a responsibility I have to the community. I truly believe in its mission and vision and look forward to one day seeing the narrative of communities change nationwide due to our hard work, sacrifice, and commitment. Although we relocated to the Atlanta area from Baltimore, MD, The DIVA Effect, Inc. is still just as committed to investing in women and girls of underserved populations so that they can acquire the skills, opportunities, and responsibility to live a transformational life and change the narrative of their communities. We are here to educate, elevate, and empower women and girls worldwide!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
One of the things that I quickly learned from moving down here is that the Atlanta area has amazing places for fellowship and fun. If I was to create an itinerary, the first place I would list is Gocha’s Breakfast Bar. The food is amazing and the staff there have always been pleasant to me. Call me a tourist but I absolutely love checking out various restaurants along the Beltline and Ponce City Market. Ponce City Market is also my son’s (25) favorite place to visit since moving here a year ago. I also love being in nature so I often use the All Trails App to check out great trails to walk on nice weather days. I’ve walked a number of trails in the area and can’t really decide which is my favorite. However, I will say, I do enjoy spreading out a blanket, setting out a few snacks and beverages and reading a good book in Piedmont Park–I can never get tired of doing that!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?

I’d like to give a huge shoutout to my grandfather, the late Rev. Dr. Nathaniel Higgs and my grandmother, Gladys Gilliam. Both did many wonderful things in the city where I was raised and have left a legacy that I strive to uphold. They both have a street named after them in Baltimore and are very well respected in the city. My grandparents gave me the strong Christian foundation I needed to overcome many obstacles and pursue God’s best for my life. They are the epitome of Psalms 82:3.

I’d also like to thank my Board of Directors (Kijakazi Ross, Eboni Caldwell, Chrystall Gafford, Miranda Reid, and Jada Thomas). They are a hard working group of women who truly believe in the vision of the DIVA Effect,, Inc. As my pastor always say, “You don’t go as high as your dream, you go as high as your team.” This team of women are a true blessing.  I’m also truly thankful to the many people who have supported me since my moving to the Atlanta area (LaChandra Pye, Malica Ahmad, Lishonda Williams, ND Brennan, and so many others). Their prayers, counsel, and guidance are greatly appreciated.

Finally, I’d like to shout out my pastor, Dr. Dharius Daniels. I have followed his teachings for several years now and they have challenged and pushed me into greater growth–spiritually, emotionally, relationally, and in leadership. He’s a brilliant man who, like my grandad, have a passion to serve God’s people and see to it that they thrive in life exactly as God intended. His book, Relational Intelligence: The People Skills You Need for the Life of Purpose You Want as well as his newest book, Your Purpose is Calling are excellent reads and I highly recommend them. Because of my pastor’s teachings, podcasts, mentoring/coaching group (The Daniels Den), I have been exposed to other great authors such as John Maxwell, Stephen Covey, Dr. Henry Cloud, Peter Scazzerro and others whose work has aided in my personal and professional development.

Website: www.thedivaeffect.org

Instagram: @lateshahiggs

Linkedin: @lateshahiggs

Facebook: @lateshahiggs

Youtube: @insidethechrysalispodcast7582

Other: Instagram: @thedivaeffect @insidethechrysalispodcast

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