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Baltimore Homecoming, an organization mobilizing a network of accomplished Baltimoreans based around the world to spark new collaborations and drive new investments in the city’s future, Monday announced the five Homecoming Hero Award winners, who will receive a cash prize of $5,000 and share their work on stage during Activate 2023, the organization’s annual signature event Oct. 19-20.
The Homecoming Hero Awards, sponsored by T. Rowe Price, is public-driven and exists to celebrate and uplift “heroes” within Baltimore’s communities. In partnership with the Baltimore Banner, the public nominated hundreds of leaders and doers earlier this year who are making a positive change in Baltimore’s communities, then a Baltimore Homecoming committee comprised of past Heroes, host committee members and others, selected ten semi-finalists.
The five winners were selected via public online voting and include:
- Kevin Beasley is director of Beats Not Bullets, a program that aims to increase middle- and high school-age students’ knowledge of the sound engineering and recording industries.
- Elijah Miles is founder and chairman of Tendea Family, an organization that helps advance Baltimore’s Black community through transformative programs focused on identity, self-improvement, community service and development.
- Brian Pham is CEO and co-founder of Break a Difference, a Baltimore-based nonprofit that helps other nonprofits coordinate large-scale volunteer projects around the world with a new program, “From: Baltimore’, that empowers Black and Brown youth to volunteer.
- Nykidra Robinson founded Black Girls Vote, a non-partisan grassroots organization that focuses on mobilizing African American women to use their collective voting power to advocate for issues that impact them and their families.
- Rashad Staton, executive director of Community Law In Action (CLIA), helps develop and position youth and young adults to be stakeholders in decision-making opportunities and policies that directly impact youth across Maryland.
The five runners-up, who will also attend Activate 2023, are:
- Charita Cole Brown is an author and mental health advocate who lives with a severe form of bipolar disorder. She chronicles her powerful story in her book, “Defying the Verdict: My Bipolar Life” and as a National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Maryland board member.
- Iya Dammons is a proud trans woman of color, activist for the TLGBQIA+ community and founding executive director of Baltimore Safe Haven, a nonprofit organization that provides dedicated TLGBQIA+ support services including housing, healthcare and more.
- Vanessa Geffrard is vice president of education and outreach at Planned Parenthood of Maryland where she leads a team of educators who implement programming for ages 9 to 99 focused on life-affirming sex education, consent, body positivity, abortion stigma and more.
- Katie Kilby is the founder and president of Reveille Grounds, whose mission is to build both stronger veterans and thriving communities in Baltimore City. The organization is building a brick-and-mortar location to host programs and resources.
- Fred Watkins is a comedian, youth advocate and founder of Big Laughs Company and Lil’ Laughs anti-bullying program. His work helps counteract self-esteem issues that plague students every day and build confidence through laughter, mentorship and restorative programs.
The Homecoming Hero Awards is one of two signature community engagement programs that Baltimore Homecoming has offered since its launch in 2018. Baltimore Homecoming uses its platform to connect Heroes with new connections, capital resources and opportunities through pairing Homecoming Heroes with coaching partners to provide public speaking and presentation support, inviting Homecoming Heroes to speak at intimate regional alumni events, producing videos and content to share across communities and creating intentional space for one-on-one connections between Homecoming Heroes and alumni.
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