For Demetria Miles-McDonald ’11, her mission has never been more important than it is now.

With the tragic deaths of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd shining light on the racial injustice and inequality plaguing the nation, Miles-McDonald knows there is nothing stopping it from being her, her husband, or even her newborn son.

“This work has always been important to me, but I have taken it more personally than ever before this past year,” she said. “It is my purpose to make the world better for my son and for all generations behind us. We have an obligation to do that.”

As the founder and CEO ofÌę, Miles-McDonald is striving to make things better now as well as for future generations. Currently in its sixth year, Decide Diversity is a training and consulting firm working with organizations that are serious about improving diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.

Miles-McDonald, who graduated with a degree in psychology from theÌę, helps her clients learn the skills necessary for true and lasting transformation within their organization. Through a variety of products and services, she focuses on not only ensuring women and minorities achieve top leadership positions but thrive once in those roles.

“No one is going to get it right 100% of the time, and this is not going to look the same for every organization,” she said. “But we all have to get better, even if that means taking baby steps. It’s about progress, not perfection.”

While many organizations focus on increasing representation of individuals from protected classes, they often fail to recognize how very few people identify with just one underrepresented group. Decide Diversity fills in the gaps of traditional diversity programs by focusing on intersectionality, which occurs when an individual identifies with two or more minority groups.

Miles-McDonald was first introduced to the concept of intersectionality from an advisor while pursuing her doctorate degree. In attempt to find a way to help others comprehend the complex concept, Miles-McDonald created theÌęÌęto discuss intersectionality in the same way as the periodic table of the elements.

“All of these organizations that are talking about diversity, equity and inclusion are not going about it from an intersectional standpoint. I knew that I could bring that to market, and it took off when I created it,” said Miles-McDonald, adding how the Table of Diversity has been the highlight of her career.

When asked what their mother did for work, this was the go-to response for Georgia Connally’s children. Unnerved by their answer, she knew she needed a change.
Upon graduating from theÌę, Connolly (’15, ’18) landed her dream job at a large corporate law firm – or so she thought. As time went on, she found herself taking on more legal aid cases than billable work, finding joy in being able to connect with her pro bono clients on a deeper level.

“I could relate to these people. I wanted to hear their story to understand where they were coming from because their story is so much my story,” said Connally, who also earned her bachelor’s in philosophy from theÌę. “They find comfort in me being able to advocate for them not only as a lawyer but from a position of empathy.”

Growing up in eastern Kentucky, Connally understands what it’s like to endure hardship. After personally dealing with experiences that showed her what it meant to not have anyone listen, she made it her mission to be the voice for the voiceless.

Now, as the owner ofÌę, she is committed to defending people who can’t otherwise protect themselves.

With too many people being silenced by the justice system, she provides underrepresented communities with a powerful legal voice to show they are more than a case number. Guided by her pillars of being honest, fair and modern, Connally is a firm believer that legal counsel should represent you and your values.

“I’m here not only to tell you what the law is but to listen to you and to understand where you’re coming from,” said Connally. “What people need right now, and what 2020 has really showed us, is that we have to rely on each other and depend on our humanity together.”

Recently named to Louisville Business First’sÌęÌęlist, Connally’s goal is to make the law more accessible. She strives to not only educate her clients about the legal system but empower them so they can fight together as a unified team.

“When you’re personally connected, or feel connected, to your clients and your cases, it helps you understand what you have to lose and what you have to gain,” she said. “It makes every day worth the fight.”

A few years ago, Connally would have been willing to move out of Kentucky to open her practice elsewhere. Motivated by the sense of unity in Louisville, she now never sees herself leaving the city – something she has UofL to thank for.

“My connection to UofL is strong, and it made me who I am as an adult, as a professional, and as a lawyer,” she said. “I give UofL credit for allowing me to create a resource in this community, because it wouldn’t be here if not for my time there.”

And for many people in the community, Connally Law Offices has proved to be a valuable resource in Louisville. As she continues to help people, the most rewarding part of her career is showing her three young daughters they have an obligation to look after the community that takes care of them.

So, what do her children say about her now?

Mommy helps people for a living.

And Connally wouldn’t have it any other way.

Learn more about Connally Law Offices by visiting theirÌęÌęand following them onÌęÌęandÌę.

Lucky for her – and for adidas – she achieved that goal with three years to spare.

Hughey, who earned her master’s degree in communication from theÌę, knew she wanted to work in the sport industry. With an emphasis in digital media in sport, she was actively involved withÌęÌęduring her time at UofL.

“We had just joined theÌę, it was right after the Year of the Cardinal, and social media was still so new,” Hughey said. “It was an amazing opportunity to work for the university and get experience with a program that was thriving.”

Upon graduating, a professor connected her with an internship at Team USA in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Two months later, the Kentucky native was hired full-time as the audience engagement editor in preparation for the 2016 Olympic Games.

Hughey’s primary responsibility was curating social strategy to maintain a consistent voice across all Team USA messaging. Through this experience, she developed a passion for brand building after helping the organization and its athletes construct their own.

In the midst of the Olympics, she received a phone call fromÌę, an industry-leading executive who was the director of brand marketing for adidas at the time. Hughey, who had been able to network with Darlow as a UofL student, was offered a job on his team as a brand communications manager for U.S. sports.
Soon after the Rio Games concluded, Hughey packed up her Fiat and moved to Portland, Oregon, to fulfill her dream of working at adidas.

Capitalizing on her love of brand building, Hughey was able to create the adidas volleyball brand and signed a deal with USA Volleyball to further promote the sport. Now, she works with all female athletes within U.S. sports and develops strategy for significant brand moments.

“As a bigger brand, we have the support and the resources,” she said. “I spend a lot of time researching and reading to understand who our consumer is to make sure they get the products they ultimately want.”

The job that usually has her on the road the majority of the year has given Hughey even more time to learn because of COVID-19. With major sporting events being canceled or existing purely in bubbles, Hughey has been able to speak with female adidas athletes to ensure they are being treated the way they should be.

“Sport is the platform of how we can create change and make sure we are celebrating females and doing it in an authentic way,” Hughey said. “In the current climate, representation is so important, and a lot of female athletes want to do more.”ÌęKnowing this, she designs campaigns branding adidas content to women of all ages. After pitching her idea at the adidas headquarters in Germany, Hughey and her team implemented anÌęÌęusing Billie Jean King for the 45th anniversary of the pivotalÌęÌęmatch.Ìę

“Bringing light to that and making Billie a relevant catalyst for change for women who want to look up to somebody is empowering,” said Hughey, adding how the most rewarding part of her job is young children seeing powerful female athletes use their platform to tell their story.

Female athletes are still fighting the same battles Billie Jean King was five decades ago, and Hughey plays a vital role in giving them a chance to use their voices for a greater cause. As she continues to show women they too belong in sport, she appreciates UofL giving her the foundation to do so.

“UofL gave me real-world experience,” she said. “Working alongside people who helped set me up for success allowed me to achieve my goal of being at adidas and creating change.”

But when the experience turned sour, 13-year-old Haynes was left distraught.

“It was one of those moments I knew that when I became a doctor, I would be the type of doctor I wish I had,” said Haynes. “I always see the seventh-grade version of myself popping up if I’m going to make a decision, and I ask myself, ‘Would she be proud of me?’”

Although Haynes’ first experience with medicine was memorable for all the wrong reasons, it did not deter her from turning her dream of becoming a doctor into a reality. After graduating from the University of LouisvilleÌęÌęwith a degree in biology, she continued on to medical school.

Haynes, who overcame suicidal thoughts in high school, experienced another episode of depression during her second year of medical school. She made the difficult decision to take time off from school to receive treatment – a choice she knows was one of the most important decisions of her career.

“One of the challenging things of being someone who’s very mission-driven and goal-oriented is it’s really easy to lose sight of my own self-care,” she explained. “As doctors, we’re driven to take care of other people, but we’re not really driven to take care of ourselves.”

After getting the treatment she needed, Haynes returned to medical school stronger than ever. When it came time to do a research presentation in her family medicine residency program, Haynes chose the topic of suicide and depression among physicians.

Those are the three words UofL alum Javion Duncan (’20) would use to describe his artwork. The young entrepreneur has taken those same characteristics and applied them to his new business, Starving Artist Visuals.Ìę
Duncan became interested in art during his middle school years but quickly realized the artists he was learning about in class did not look like him. Motivated to do his own research into Black painters, Duncan came across the work of Jean-Michel Basquiat, one of the first Black artists to go mainstream in commercial art.Ìę

Although their styles differ, the late Basquiat inspired Duncan to not only take art more seriously, but to change the narrative of what it means to be successful as a Black man.

“When I think about African Americans in history, you’re told that if you want to be successful at something, you better be an athlete, a dancer, an actor,” said Duncan. “We have to kill the idea that there’s only a certain avenue you can take as a young Black kid to be successful.”

Eager to break away from the status quo, Duncan embarked on a journey with the goal to inspire young kids who want new ways to express themselves.Ìę

As a former Division I football player, Duncan did not have as much time to devote to his art as he would have liked. But when the coronavirus pandemic put everything on pause, he took the opportunity to further grow and develop his artistic passion.

“COVID-19 forced me to sink or swim,” said Duncan, who earned his master’s in sport administration from theÌę. “In this predicament, being fresh out of college with very few people hiring, I wasn’t going to feel sorry for myself. So, I started a business.”

And that’s howÌęÌęcame to be.

Duncan’s business allows him to share his original art with the world, and he designs each piece in such a way to inspire, uplift, and bring joy to others. Through his desire for realism, the majority of his art centers around historical figures, musicians and prominent athletes.“If I find something inspiring through a book I’ve read or a documentary I’ve watched, I will be more inclined to want to recreate that person, especially if they passed away,” he said. “Painting is recreating them and getting to know them without ever getting to meet them.”

Although realism is inherently subject to scrutiny, Duncan knows he is continuing to improve and uses each painting to further enhance his skills. Duncan, who strictly does portrait work, creates art that is representative of his culture and who he is as a person.

“My style is being a modern historian. What I mean by that is adding elements of today and what we consider culturally relevant, but with the history of the past so it’s reflective of both a young community as well as an older one,” he said.

Duncan’s mission as an artist is to ensure each painting is affordable, high-quality, and authentic – but with his own spin. One unique element to his business model is a YouTube channel, which provides him a platform to tell his story in addition to serving as an educational tool to share techniques with other aspiring artists.“I didn’t see too many Black art teachers on YouTube, so I thought I might as well do my twist on it,” he said. “At the end of the day, I want to be able to help in any way possible for anyone who wants to be an artist.”

While there have been highs and lows for the young business owner, Duncan credits his time at UofL for teaching him how to believe in what he wants to create, noting how the artsy nature of the city of Louisville was inspiring to him.

“UofL taught me so much about myself, including the idea that you can truly make it happen if you put the work in,” he said. “My experience at UofL showed me that I can do whatever I want to do, as long as I’m willing to make sacrifices and put in hard work.”

Visit Starving Artist Visuals’Ìę,Ìę, andÌęÌępage to learn more and view the gallery, and follow Javion Duncan onÌęÌęandÌęÌęto stay up to date on his art.Ìę

Whatever you call it, you have to have it – and coffee addicts everywhere will go berserk for a new brand that started right here in Louisville.

UofL alum Bland Matthews (’96) created Berserker Brew with a specific vision: engineer smooth, non-bitter coffee with no empty calories, added sugar, or chemicals. Although originally designed with athletes in mind, Berserker Brew is fit for any coffee-lover aiming for a healthier lifestyle.

“People don’t think about how coffee impacts their training and their ability to heal. It’s all about knowledge and about understanding,” Matthews said. “No one has really talked to athletes before about coffee, about its health benefits, and why they should drink organic coffee.”

Matthews, who graduated with a degree in Political Science from the College of Arts and Sciences, started Berserker Brew in 2017 with the intention to be organic and fair trade. With 100% organic beans and omni-degradable packaging, Berserker Brew leaves an ecological footprint much smaller than the footprint of larger coffee corporations.

“People want me to sell non-organic coffee because it’s cheaper and I could make more profit, but I’m not in it for that,” said Matthews. “I don’t want to substitute the quality of the Berserker Brew experience just for more money.”

Matthews understands the importance of having a solid brand after 20 years of management experience at UPS. With customers in 35 states and three countries, he hopes to solidify partnerships with big racing events like Ironman and the Ragnar Relay Series as Berserker Brew continues to grow.

“When I created Berserker Brew, I had a global view that I wanted a clean, beautiful coffee flavor with an aroma that blows up when you roast it and you smell that wonderful smell of coffee,” said Matthews. “It’s the perfect coffee.”

For the complete story, visit .

She recently gained national headlines for a very special Christmas book, written with her very own children in mind.

“As a mom, I could not find a story about Santa that featured a main character who looked like my own kids,” Cummings said in a press release issued by Blue Cottage Agency. “After much research, ‘In The Nick of Time’ is quite possibly the first published book where a little brown boy helps Santa Claus save Christmas.”

Cummings is extremely involved in community service and often presents stories that reflect the lives of those often not portrayed in the media.

“It is so important for my children to also feel special and wanted and needed, and like Santa could trustÌęor call on them too,” Cummings said. “This story is beautiful and filled with messages all children need to hear about poverty, gratitude and service to others.”

Cummings encourages the children she works with to write as a way to process emotions and express themselves. She has presented on multiple topics around the country, promotes reading through various programs, and founded the Louisville Book Festival.

For the complete story, visit .

He found that the locals were drawn to him in their search for medical assistance and he served them the best that he could without any medical training.

“The villagers would come to my little house and assumed I would help them with any sort of medical ailment,” Belknap said.Ìę

Motivated by this lack of medical care, he joined forces with other sociology professors to create the Kingiti Fund, which focuses on scholarship and health care. The program provides resources for students to further their education for $250 a year, in addition to providing emergency training to medical staff in local hospitals.

The non-profit also plans to extend their education and emergency medicine projects into other regions. “We have a lot of projects going on right now. We are in a moment of growth, and we’ve had so much luck with this,” Belknap said.

He has returned to the village several times even as he finishes his residency program in Brooklyn, New York. HeÌęplans to continue his work, serving the people of East Africa with education and medical care.

For the full story and how to get involved, visit .

Lucky Cat Café and Lounge is non-profit cat café where guests can sit back and relax with a number of feline friends. The building, located on Dundee Road near the Douglass Loop in the Highlands neighborhood, is divided into the café portion, where cats are prohibited, and the lounge portion, where guests can take their coffee or snacks to enjoy in the company of cats.

The feline companions are tenants of LMAS simply looking for their forever home. The café hosts about a dozen kittens at a time that are available for adoption. The necessities, like cat food and litter, are completely funded by donations

“I knew marketing, accounting and finance were important, so I got those set up right away,” said Spencer, who relies on donations to keep her costs low. “We’re not doing this to make money. We want to be a community-supported organization, and we have been.”

Spencer raises awareness through a variety of events within the community as well as in the shop.

For the complete story, visit .

As of now, they have completed water projects in both India and Colombia. Desai believes very firmly in the mission of their organization and is rewarded by the smiles on young faces as they take that first drink of clean water.

“For the kids, it was exciting to have someone from a different country come in and play with them, but also provide them water,” she said. “But it’s not just the children; it’s the teachers, and their friends and families. The whole village now has access to clean water.”

The project hopes to expand globally, reaching as many underdeveloped communities as possible.

“There are other individuals that people can’t see right now that are in need,” Desai said. “We’ve been able to open other people’s minds up and get them to realize world topics.”

For the complete story visit .