Team One Names Latest Recipient of The Legacy Lab Foundation Scholarship

The Legacy Lab, Team One’s award-winning think tank and strategic consultancy, has announced the recipient of its third-annual Legacy Lab Foundation Scholarship. Launched in 2019, the unique scholarship seeks to champion the next generation of legacy makers. A record number of submissions were received from Black and African-American students across the country, many of whom are studying at top-ranked Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

Building on the momentum from last year, applications were received from students across a wide range of majors and fields of studies, all articulating what legacy making means to them. From music majors to racial justice advocates, to those studying genetic risk factors among persons of African ancestry, each applicant demonstrated how their specific contributions are planting the seeds for long-term change in their respective fields, while also demonstrating how they’ve already made a significant impact in their communities.

“We are living and working in challenging times where heads of organisations fear making bad decisions. And, as a result, some established businesses tend to evolve too slowly. In contrast, it is inspiring to hear the voices of these next-generation leaders—working on emerging ideas—to advance culture, business and society,” said Mark Miller, chief strategy officer at Team One and Founder of The Legacy Lab. “All of the honourees recognised this year have a genuine sense of ambition and optimism for making a long-term, positive impact.”

This year, the $10,000 scholarship was awarded to Kimiloluwa Fafowora, a student at Stanford Graduate School of Business. Kimiloluwa has fought for representation helping to recruit and hire people of diverse backgrounds through her work. She is the founder of Meet Klara, an eCommerce software company aiming to diversify the advertising industry by reframing the standards of beauty. Through founding Meet Klara, her ultimate goal is to increase the representation of Black women in technology and entrepreneurship. Prior to business school, Kimiloluwa was an Enterprise Software Investor at Silversmith Capital Partners, a growth equity firm based in Boston, and the strategy manager at Brandable, where she was responsible for developing and scaling the next wave of consumer brands. She received her Bachelor’s Degree from Harvard University with honours in Economics and Spanish.

On her award, Kimiloluwa remarked, “It is truly such an honour to be a recipient of the 2021 Legacy Lab Foundation Scholarship. The generous support from scholarship sponsors like The Legacy Lab have greatly supported my educational pursuits. This generous investment also serves as a powerful motivator to continue pursuing my goals. I am so appreciative of this opportunity and look forward to continuing to build out my legacy so that I can help others do the same.”

Due to the substantial response from accomplished participants yet again, The Legacy Lab and its awards committee decided to expand its Rising Star Award program as well, recognising six additional students this year. Rising Star Awards were granted to:

• Chanice McClover-Lee, a Sociology and English undergraduate at Howard University, who is passionate about advocating for the rights of Black women at the intersection of racial, gender, and reproductive justice.
• Keia Jones, a Ph.D. student pursuing a dual-degree in Rural Sociology and International Agriculture and Development at Penn State, whose research areas include environmental sustainability, socio-political dimensions, entrepreneurship, and value chain governance.
• Karyn Onyeneho, a fifth-year Ph.D. candidate at Howard University, studying Nutritional Sciences to investigate nutritional and genetic risk factors common among persons of African ancestry.
• Stevens Leconte, a sophomore at Howard University majoring in psychology, who is the Co-Founder and CEO at Kollab Edtech Inc., a company working to revolutionize the education industry.
• Justin E. Bell, a senior double-majoring in Voice Performance and Choral Music Education at The University of Southern Mississippi, where he oversees the public relations and marketing needs of The Denyce Graves Foundation.
• Touré Owen, a student at Stanford Business School, studying entrepreneurship and following his passion for creating pathways to economic empowerment in communities of colour and pursuing his barber’s license at the Academy Barber College in San Francisco.

This scholarship is granted by The Legacy Lab Foundation, a non-profit part of Team One’s Legacy Lab, created to invest in leaders and organisations aiming to make a durable difference in the world. It is powered by The Giving Back Fund, an LA-based non-profit that facilitates charitable giving.

For more information on The Legacy Lab Foundation Scholarship, head here.