Today we’d like to introduce you to Raioni Madison-Jones.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
3D Girls, Inc began. in the summer of 2012. After becoming a young mother, I had a vision of giving back and mentoring youth as so many people did for me. I had an amazing group of mentors, teachers, and leaders who helped me to accomplish my goals. I started my first mentoring group of eight girls. We held our meetings after-school each week. I remember on weekends, my friends and I would pile the girls up in our cars and take the girls on adventures around the city. We took them ice skating for the first time, exposed them to fine dining experiences, and hosted a career photoshoot for them during their senior year of high school. Upon graduating, many of the girls have gone to college, joined the military and/or gotten jobs to support their families. It is fulfilling seeing them all grown up and on their journeys into adulthood.
There are three programs within 3D Girls, Inc. designed to educate, empower and advocate for young women from different demographics. The L.E.A.G.U.E. (Ladies Empowering Adolescent Girls Using Exposure) is our school-based program that provides girls K-12 with a group mentoring experiences. The T.E.A.M. Project is an outreach initiative that provides young and expecting mothers under the age of 21 with resources to help maintain sustainability. With over 3,500 diapers, wipes, blankets, and other essential baby care, The T.E.A.M. Project has poured into the lives of over 150 mothers with our quarterly community baby showers and self-leadership workshops in the past two years. Lastly, The #DRIPSAtlanta Campaign has come into fruition as a means of gathering individuals to engage in group painting activities that bring awareness to social and emotional wellness. We are able to raise money for our outreach programming from the activities while simultaneously mobilizing mental health resources.
As the organization has grown over the years, it has been a powerful transformation! We are looking forward to securing four-five new board members within the next year to serve; helping to build our fundraising efforts, marketing, and branding initiatives and securing space for a community outreach center. Our work with our mentoring, teen parenting and STEAM initiatives will continue to operate year-round to educate and empower the community.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Starting and sustaining a nonprofit organization is the hardest endeavor that I have ever pursued. After about four years, my board completely dissolved and I’d had a hard time finding the support I needed to catapult 3D Girls, Inc. to where I know it was destined to be. Not everyone sees the vision as plain as you may see it and that drive and ambition can push others away. I felt alone and often times, as a woman of faith, I didn’t understand why God had placed me in this position. Why would he give me a vision and it’s not working? But then, I began to stop worrying and I began to pray. I prayed for the type of people that I needed to support me. I began to let go of the worry and the weights of carrying the organization on my own, and within the last year people started calling, emailing, DM’ing me out of nowhere… people that I did not know but eager to support my mission.
The great part about my journey is that I am continuing to learn. I have learned a lot of things the hard way and now I like to be a sponge and soak up everything I can from others in the work. The biggest lesson that I would share with someone interested is to surround myself with genuine, compassionate and knowledgeable people who share your interests. Having a solid, committed board of directors and a group of volunteers is essential to the growth of the organization. As we continue to build a solid foundation, we are constantly seeking dedicated people who share the same passion for empowering and uplifting young women and girls in the community.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the 3D Girls, Inc. story. Tell us more about the business.
Girls are confronted with barriers and difficulties that pose major risks to their healthy development that are different from boys. Providing opportunities for girls to educate, empower and advocate for themselves increases the possibilities of successful development. In order to develop healthy relationships with others, 3D Girls, Inc. teaches the girls in our programs the importance of identity through its mission of effective mentoring. Effective mentoring speaks to our model of intentionally working one-on-one with girls to help them realize their potential. We understand that a girl having a strong sense of who she is and her purpose impacts her wellbeing. Our organization has three programs that support and mentors girls from various demographics and leads them toward a positive path of development. I am honestly proud of the impact that we make on young women and their families. We are very intentional about spending time with our mentees, clients, and participants in an effort to build relationships beyond a workshop, event, or outreach initiative. We desire to provide a holistic support system for those connected to us and help them to build a foundation for their success.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
Luck is non-existent in our paradigm. As a business owner, opportunities, trials, error, mistakes, and mishaps are all part of the process. I simply believe that everything happens for a reason. The way that we position ourselves in times of difficulty can determine our success. If the weight of the pressure gets too heavy, a weak person will subside. We must see adversity as a lesson. Instead of folding under pressure, we must trust the process. Filter out the issues and develop an understanding of what to do next. It also works on the other end of the spectrum, where the weight of success could create a mentality that you have “arrived.” When you put a cap on your success, you limit your opportunities for growth.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.3dgirlsinc.org
- Phone: 678-489-1154
- Email: 3dgirlsinc@gmail.com
- Instagram: @3DGirlsInc
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/3DGirlsInc/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/3D_GIRLSINC
Image Credit:
Raioni’s iPhone
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