Meet Our Entrepreneurs
LaTonya Winfrey
HAPPY: JOSEPH’S JOURNEY
What started out as a support system for LaTonya Winfrey’s son with autism, Joseph, has since flourished into its own nonprofit. The original purpose of this support system was to hold a t-shirt sale in order to raise money for Joseph’s speech therapy costs. It takes a village to raise a child, and Joseph’s village is incredibly supportive and encouraging. So much so, that LaTonya felt she could do more for individuals with autism.
Last year, LaTonya decided to take the leap and enroll in The Academy to learn how to make Happy: Joseph’s Journey an official nonprofit organization. “Corner to Corner taught me to take advantage of all resources that are available to me, whether I can currently use one or not, the information is always helpful.”
Now, Happy: Joseph’s Journey consists of a strong village of autism advocates, for those on the spectrum, their families, and communities as a whole. The organization offers educational services, like online seminars and classes for families, and works to enrich the lives of community members by hosting activities that promote awareness. On top of this, Happy: Joseph’s Journey is also here to celebrate! The annual Bowling for Austin Awareness event brings the community together.
Just a few months ago, LaTonya announced something incredible: Happy: Joseph’s Journey is officially trademarked! “In order to keep our brand name, we made a decision to begin the trademark process in June 2020. One month later, the city was placed on lockdown, which allowed us to focus on our organization, [but] it was an extremely long waiting period for approval. In June 2021, Happy: Joseph’s Journey® was approved for the trademark.”
The Academy helps individuals plan, start, and grow their business dreams, and sometimes that dream is a non-profit! Consider becoming a donor today to support the creation of more nonprofits.
Follow LaTonya’s story
Kenya Adams
PANTYBUDDY
As part of National Business Women’s Week 2021, we’ll be featuring some of our Academy Alumna and their stories on this blog page. First up is Kenya Adams, owner and founder of PantyBuddy and our recent first-place winner of the Lipscomb BAM x Corner to Corner Pitch Contest.
Kenya signed up for The Academy in February 2020 with only an idea. “The facilitators in my class literally pushed me every step of the way to turn my idea into a reality. They encouraged me to officially establish PantyBuddy as an LLC, to get a website, secure social media handles, and helped me to gather my thoughts around my product pitch. I always say that signing up for the Academy was the best thing I ever did because it not only gave me the knowledge and the tools I needed to become an entrepreneur, it gave me the support system I needed.”
Since graduating in May 2020, Kenya has been getting the word out about PantyBuddy and expanding her business. Just this past month, in September of 2021, she participated in the Lipscomb BAM x Corner to Corner Pitch Contest. Alongside six other Academy Alumni businesses, Kenya pitched her business and how it has impacted the community. As our first place winner, she walked away with $5,000, a MacBook, a pair of Air Pod Pros, and a lot of emotions!
“I was proud, surprised, excited, but most of all I was extremely honored. The Pitch Contest featured some of the best and brightest businesses to come out of The Academy, many of whom I personally look up to and really admire. To share the stage with these peers was a complete honor to begin with, and then to come out on top was an extreme confidence booster. It made me feel like ‘Ok Kenya, you can do this!’”
As a woman in business, there are more hurdles to jump through and more obstacles to overcome. Kenya’s biggest tip? Rely on your support system!
“I wear many demanding hats; I am a wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend, etc. But as a female business owner, one of the most important things I’ve learned is that it is okay to prioritize my desire to excel in business. Sometimes that means I’m on the road to a trade show on the weekends, or that I’m up late at night, or that I’m taking an evening meeting, and don’t have time to cook dinner. So, when my husband sees I am caught up in PantyBuddy work, instead of asking what’s for dinner, he’s gotten really good at picking up the phone and ordering pizza LOL! Seriously, the biggest lesson I have learned is to lean on my support system and ask for help when I need it.”
We are so honored to have women like Kenya in our Corner to Corner community! To support women in business, invest in entrepreneurs like Kenya; Invest in Corner to Corner.
