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

Hi LaTonya, can you talk to us a bit about the social impact of your business?
Through 1 Heart it is my hope to educate the community on the aspects of heart disease. I need for them to see the faces of this deadly disease because this is not a senior citizen thing this affects all of us from birth and up. Although a lot of us have developed this from hereditary, it is still something that we can control be that exercise, cooking and mental health. What 1 Heart does is, we just add fashion to ours just like the American Heart Association with Go Red which is where this whole idea came from. The only difference is that we are educating the community that we live in and providing financial assistance right here at home.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I am a 501 C3 and this has been the most challenging addition that I have added to my life. This road has not been easy and it still is hard because you have to get people to believe in you and your vision, so getting grants have not been easy and I am having to pay for everything. But this vision is God sent so he continues to help me get through this every year.

My biggest accomplishments and Joy is seeing who we’re able to touch through our events to date and we’re only 3 years old but we have assisted 8 people and it is my hope to increase that number as we grow.

I have heart disease, high blood pressure and had a stroke so knowing the information such as the signs, your numbers, knowing your body and knowing how to add healthy eating and exercise to your diet.

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.
I love HISTORY so I would take them to the EJI memorial museum to learn the history of the Civil Rights since Montgomery was one of the places for the movement. As far as food is concerned I cook….lol so I would be preparing that meal. But definitely find a cool spot for drinks. There are really no places to go, but East Chase has some shopping so they may like that as well.

I have grown to love spoken word poetry so any spot that offers that is cool with me.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
This is not anything that I ever wanted to do, but I saw a Go Red Fashion Show that the American Heart Association was doing in another state called Go Red For Women. I was like hey that is neat let me see if Montgomery does anything like that. I called the headquarters in Alabama and was told that would be a neat idea. So for 5 years I put together fashion shows to donate the funds to the AHA. Then at my last show with them was when someone said to me have you thought about doing the same thing but keeping the funds local and 1 Heart was born from there. Fashion has been my life I have modeled since I was a teenager so this was right up my alley.

Website: 1heart4.online

Instagram: lduncan1920

Linkedin: LaTonya Duncan

Facebook: 1 Heart

Image Credits
Michael Moore

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutAtlanta is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.