Shavonne Reed is Officially a BOSS with Purpose
Local entrepreneur Shavonne Reed has been awarded the "Invest in Progress" grant. Despite her strong entrepreneurial spirit, Reed encountered numerous hurdles in maintaining a business poised for growth. With the invaluable assistance and support from the BOSS Network, Sage, and Hello Alice, she will overcome these challenges. This achievement is particularly significant as it underscores the persistent challenges faced by Black female-owned businesses, despite their immense potential.
Atlanta, GA, April 05, 2024 --(PR.com)-- Announced today, OPUA LLC is the recipient of the $10,000 grant and full year of monthly mentorship through the BOSS Business University to help grow its capacity to promote future health now. As part of the grant, OPUA will receive the benefits of The BOSS Network, an empowering online community dedicated to promoting the small business spirit and career development of women of color. The company started as a side hustle in 2005 while Shavonne Reed was a graduate student and first-time expectant mother. With hopes of one day running the company full-time, she entered into the Georgia Business Plan competition hoping to receive seed money. As her family was growing, and knowing the high percentages of businesses that fail, she knew she had to be certain her business would sustain her family's income before she jumped all the way in. If the fail rate was a global percentage, then the rate for minority owned firms had to be so much greater.
She gave it a try full-time, during a brief stint between opportunities. However, she thought it would be safer to stick with her corporate safety net. Until she learned the hard way that the safety net was a misconception. After her third position elimination which was due to no fault of her own, she decided it was time to suck it up and go all the way in or die trying. With a purpose that was placed upon her heart after the surging mental health crisis of the pandemic and seeing her mother's untimely demise, Reed knew there was something she had to do with her talents to leave the world a healthier place than she found it.
That is when she reimagined her brand and OPUA became Optimistic People Unified for Awareness, a Gen-Z focused health communications and behavioral change agency. As a mother of two Zoomers, she realized from her lived experiences that although parental influence is vital throughout a child's development, according to a study published in the Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, during adolescence, peers become more increasingly important as sources of social support, validation, and identity formation, often surpassing the influence of parents in certain domains.
Another study published in the Journal of Youth and Adolescence found that peer influence was particularly strong in shaping behaviors such as substance use, delinquency, and risky decision-making during adolescence. "Given this insight, as a health communicator and experienced marketer, I am determined to leverage the latest technology and platforms to create change that will break generational curses and health trends, especially in marginalized communities," shares Reed. I faced several adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) growing up that guided my decision making, however, I was not up against the many factors pre-teens, teens and young adults are currently up against." With the advent of the latest breakthrough from studies like the How Right Now campaign sponsored by the CDC Foundation in partnership with NORC at University of Chicago, Reed is convinced her organization can be the change we all want to see in the world. To learn more about this initiative follow the www.cdcfoundation.org/howrightnow. Reed champions wellbeing of teachers who are critical to the success of each and every student they encounter. “I see teachers as dream keepers, as they are the ones who helped me through the darkest periods of my life.”
About OPUA
OPUA Agency is a boutique health marketing communications firm on a mission to educate, mobilize, and empower Gen Z to develop healthy lifestyles through awareness. The agency is trusted with building brands, campaigns, and capacity to generate reach, awareness, engagement, and to promote healthy futures. OPUA is committed to making future generations healthier.
About The BOSS Network
Founded by Dr. Cameka Smith, The BOSS Network is an online community of professional and entrepreneurial women who support each other through digital content, programs, and event-based networking. The mission of the BOSS Network, which stands for "Bringing Out Successful Sisters," is to promote and encourage the small business spirit and career development of women of color. In 2022, the BOSS Network announced the launch of its BOSS Impact Fund, which focuses on investing in Black women-led businesses and preparing these entrepreneurs to build scalable, growth-aggressive companies. Its goal is to raise investment funding for 500+ Black women entrepreneurs, over the next three years.
She gave it a try full-time, during a brief stint between opportunities. However, she thought it would be safer to stick with her corporate safety net. Until she learned the hard way that the safety net was a misconception. After her third position elimination which was due to no fault of her own, she decided it was time to suck it up and go all the way in or die trying. With a purpose that was placed upon her heart after the surging mental health crisis of the pandemic and seeing her mother's untimely demise, Reed knew there was something she had to do with her talents to leave the world a healthier place than she found it.
That is when she reimagined her brand and OPUA became Optimistic People Unified for Awareness, a Gen-Z focused health communications and behavioral change agency. As a mother of two Zoomers, she realized from her lived experiences that although parental influence is vital throughout a child's development, according to a study published in the Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, during adolescence, peers become more increasingly important as sources of social support, validation, and identity formation, often surpassing the influence of parents in certain domains.
Another study published in the Journal of Youth and Adolescence found that peer influence was particularly strong in shaping behaviors such as substance use, delinquency, and risky decision-making during adolescence. "Given this insight, as a health communicator and experienced marketer, I am determined to leverage the latest technology and platforms to create change that will break generational curses and health trends, especially in marginalized communities," shares Reed. I faced several adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) growing up that guided my decision making, however, I was not up against the many factors pre-teens, teens and young adults are currently up against." With the advent of the latest breakthrough from studies like the How Right Now campaign sponsored by the CDC Foundation in partnership with NORC at University of Chicago, Reed is convinced her organization can be the change we all want to see in the world. To learn more about this initiative follow the www.cdcfoundation.org/howrightnow. Reed champions wellbeing of teachers who are critical to the success of each and every student they encounter. “I see teachers as dream keepers, as they are the ones who helped me through the darkest periods of my life.”
About OPUA
OPUA Agency is a boutique health marketing communications firm on a mission to educate, mobilize, and empower Gen Z to develop healthy lifestyles through awareness. The agency is trusted with building brands, campaigns, and capacity to generate reach, awareness, engagement, and to promote healthy futures. OPUA is committed to making future generations healthier.
About The BOSS Network
Founded by Dr. Cameka Smith, The BOSS Network is an online community of professional and entrepreneurial women who support each other through digital content, programs, and event-based networking. The mission of the BOSS Network, which stands for "Bringing Out Successful Sisters," is to promote and encourage the small business spirit and career development of women of color. In 2022, the BOSS Network announced the launch of its BOSS Impact Fund, which focuses on investing in Black women-led businesses and preparing these entrepreneurs to build scalable, growth-aggressive companies. Its goal is to raise investment funding for 500+ Black women entrepreneurs, over the next three years.
Contact
OPUA
Shavonne Reed
770-289-8977
https://www.opua.agency
Shavonne Reed
770-289-8977
https://www.opua.agency
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