LaVeta Hayes was born in Daytona Beach, FL. She received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting from Bethune-Cookman University and a Master's Degree in Public Administration from Central Michigan University. After 37 years of exceptional Federal Government Service as Branch Chief of Financial Management Policy for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, LaVeta retired in February of 2014.

Living Legacies with LaVeta was born after the untimely passing of her father, Edward “Creamy” Hayes, Jr. in February 2019. LaVeta has chosen to honor his life and legacy, touching as many people as possible, just like her dad. Living Legacies, Inc. is dedicated to enhancing and embracing the goal of creating generations of people to learn how to better manage and protect their money and create everlasting legacies. LaVeta specializes in Estate Preservation, College Planning, Medicare, Life & Health Insurance and Long-Term Care Planning giving lifelong tips and tools to plot a plan for continuous success. LaVeta believes in creating relationships based on trust and integrity, by helping as many families as possible for every stage of life.

Nikki Giovanni is one of this country’s most widely read poets and one of America’s most renowned poets world-wide. Her poem, “Knoxville, Tennessee,” is arguably the single literary work most often associated with that city. Nikki Giovanni was born Yolande Cornelia Giovanni, Jr. in Knoxville, Tennessee, in 1943, but her parents moved to the all-black Cincinnati suburb of Lincoln Heights when she was an infant. She and her sisters spent the summers with their grandparents in Knoxville, and she returned there for her high school years. She enrolled as an early entrant at Fisk University, where her grandfather had graduated, but was “released” in February in

1961, because her attitudes were deemed inappropriate for a “Fisk woman.” She then returned home

and took classes at the University of Cincinnati until she returned to Fisk in 1964. At Fisk, she reinstituted the school’s chapter of SNCC, edited the literary magazine, and graduated magna cum laude in history in 1967. Returning to Cincinnati, she directed the city’s first Black Arts Festival before enrolling briefly in the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Social Work. Recognizing that she was not meant to be a social worker, she entered Columbia University’s MFA program. In 1968 she self-

published her first poetry book, a nineteen-page staple-bound volume entitled, Black Feeling Black Talk, which sold some 2,000 copies in its first few months, which allowed Giovanni to self-publish her second book of poetry, Black Judgement. William Morrow & Company approached her about publishing her first two volumes together in one book, and Black Feeling Black Talk/Black Judgement was published in 1970.

Jeanine Elise Mack grew up in the greater Daytona Beach area as the youngest of six siblings. She is a 1992 graduate of Mainland High School and is the mother of three wonderful sons, Christian, Xavier and Kingsley.

A few of Jeanine's academic accomplishments include the completion of her Associate of Arts degree at Daytona State College and later graduating from Warner University with a Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Management. While tackling the tall task of single-motherhood and working full time, Jeanine attended the prestigious Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University where she majored in Leadership and earned her Masters of Science in Leadership degree.

Mack Media Moguls, LLC was born in 2017 to assist Jeanine in fulfilling her purpose.

Jeanine is a motivation and lifestyle speaker. When she's not speaking in person, you can catch Jeanine on her bi-weekly podcast, The Jeanine Unscripted Podcast, on your favorite podcast platform!

She is also on a mission to increase childhood literacy specifically in children from diverse economic and cultural backgrounds; while instilling the beauty of self-love, confidence and high moral standards. Jeanine published her first children’s book series entitled Life Lessons, in 2019. Jeanine recently released her first relationship and self-help book for adults entitled: The Break-Up Boss, How to breakup with toxic people and mindsets that keep you down. By healing the heart and renewing the mind of each reader, Jeanine hopes to revitalize the fabric of self love and quality relationships one reader at a time.

Joy Jones is a self-described work in progress. She was educated in the Volusia County Florida public school system. Upon graduating, she attended Agnes Scott College and transferred in what would have been her senior year- the first in a series of smart moves. She eventually graduated from the University of Pittsburgh magna cum laude with a double major in philosophy and political science, married and with a baby in tow.

Among her career highlights:

She worked as a public relations coordinator for one of the nation’s first funded Head Start programs, she served as public relations manager for Southwest Georgia’s largest health system, and Phoebe Putney Health. Joy worked as a District Representative for United States Senator Max Cleland, representing the Senator in 27 Southwest Georgia counties. At the world headquarters of Tupperware Brands, Inc. she was editor of publications for U.S. and Canadian markets before being named a National Urban Fellow, a highly competitive national program designed to address the under-representation of minorities and women in government, philanthropy and nonprofits. She currently serves as director of communications at Bethune Cookman University.

Joy has three young adult children and enjoys adventuring outdoors. She has weathered divorce, underemployment, a brief illness, many of life’s disappointments and yet with humor and faith , she looks forward each day to running on to see what the end is going to be – most days, anyway.