Interview by Emily Hessney Lynch.

Published March 28, 2019.

Where are you originally from? How did you end up in Rochester at this time in your life?

I was born and raised in Rochester. My mom’s grandparents came here from Georgia, and my dad’s grandparents came here from Kentucky. I went to Geneseo briefly, left to get married, and eventually got my Associate’s in Business from MCC.

I’ve always been content to stay in Rochester, and that’s something that was instilled in me by my mother. She’s always said that people are people wherever you go. If you’re running away from people, you need to fix yourself first. I like being near my family, too.

What are some hidden gems you've discovered around Rochester?

Zoc’s—I love his establishment, the atmosphere, and the environment. The Lincoln Toy Library is another great one; it’s been around for 20+ years, but I only became aware of it recently.

The Quaker Society of Friends space on Scio Street is a great hidden gem. I met one of their leaders, Miss Sarah, at the Lincoln Toy Library. My business, Marvelous Mind Academy, will be moving into the Quaker’s space on Scio. It was the perfection connection, because they were excited to help a young person with a big vision, and Quakers have always helped oppressed people. It’s such a cool connection!

If you had $100 and 2 hours to kill, how would you spend the money/time in Rochester?

I’d got to Flower Girl in Fairport and grab some bouquets to deliver to people who have helped me on my journey. Flower Girl is the only daily floral shop in Fairport, and it’s black-owned!

What is your personal coping mechanism for cold/gray weather?

I’m a December baby, so I was born in this weather. I always think: it could be worse. We don’t have any flying bugs here! I don’t have to worry about cockroaches or lizards, or worse, hurricanes and earthquakes. I’ll take the snow and ice.

What is your favorite Rochester memory? 

My grandpa’s fish fries—he’d host this huge fish fry every summer. EVERYONE would come! There were people everywhere! It was over 150 people back in the day, around 50 as he got older. It was so cool to see the community come to you and come together.

What makes Rochester unique? 

Everything—especially the opportunities to become much greater than we are. I’ve lived here my whole live and I’ve yet to discover all Rochester has to offer.

Becoming a business owner in 2014 helped me to see how Rochester comes together and understand how networks are connected. I’d say a special thank you to Mayor Warren, and say that she is what helps make Rochester unique. There are so many programs I’ve participated in, like Kiva, OWN, and more, and they all started under her leadership. She’s one of our most unique assets and she makes Rochester amazing!

What do you think could be improved? 

I think more connectivity would be most helpful—we have plenty of resources, but not enough people know about them. We need more network webs to connect people better.

If Rochester was an animal, what would it be? 

It would be an eagle—eagles soar high and they soar alone. It doesn’t seem like they cooperate well with others, not even of their own kind. They’re born to fly, but a baby eagle doesn’t know he can fly. You’ve gotta teach him.

Tell me a little bit about your business, Marvelous Mind Academy, and how it's evolved over time.

Marvelous Mind Academy is an innovative childcare solution that enables parents to schedule care at a moment’s notice. I founded it in 2014, and initially, it was a summer camp program. I launched a Groupon and would pick kids up from anywhere in Monroe County in my van. We’d go on a new educational adventure every day, visiting the MAG, Seabreeze, and the Strong Museum. We had no home base. I later started nannying for a few families, then that evolved into in-home daycare for a time. I started posting videos of my own son learning, and from there I started assisting other parents with homeschooling. Then I developed a preschool program that I led at the Lincoln Library. So it’s taken a long time for Marvelous Mind Academy to get to its current form, and it feels great to be about to take our biggest leap yet, opening up a physical space downtown!

What inspired you to start Marvelous Mind Academy?

My son, Mason. I knew I wanted to be a present parent. My mom was very present, but she worked, went to all our stuff, and was always sleeping when we got home. “Don’t wake mama” was the #1 rule in our household. I wanted to be the most active person in my child’s life; I had to try to figure out how to both be present and make a living.

Why did you choose the childcare space when you wanted to start a business?

My grandma did childcare for 30 years. The lives she touched are still part of our life today—they’re family now, really rooted in Rochester.

What have been some of your proudest moments a business owner so far?

My grandma got to see me win a grant from RMAPI as part of their participatory budgeting process, and that felt so good. I submitted a proposal for overnight daycare for the B-shift, with a plan to pay a living wage to workers and for the company to be worker-owned. That way, we’re combating poverty on both sides. There were 22 initiatives on the ballot, and only 5 won, and we were the only individual organization that won.

I hear you got a Kiva loan to help your business grow. What was the process like?

The process started with Henry Fitz; he was very encouraging, and made all the right connections. Then I went to office hours at the library, and they helped review my business plan and pitch and navigate the Kiva platform. Getting funded on the private platform was the longest part of the process, which took about two weeks. Once we went public on Kiva, we were funded that same day! It went so fast. I was checking updates with my preschoolers and getting so excited! The whole process was very cohesive; it was seamless. The repayment process has been easy to manage too. The community Kiva Rochester is building is great—you see so many businesses popping up and staying open because of them.

How did your Kiva loan impact you/your business?

It was huge. It assisted us with more than just money. Just being on their platform and getting the word out has been priceless.

What is the best part of owning a business in Rochester?

The community—it’s great! I’ve met super helpful people like Sean McKay and Tina Paradiso. They operate with the intent to give back to the community, and it shows. After having dinner with Tina, I woke up the next day to 10 email introductions.

What are some of the challenges you face?

Regulations and insurance. As a new business owner, insurance doesn’t know how risky we are or aren’t, and that drives up the cost.

What advice would you give to entrepreneurs?

Obstacles are life’s way of asking if you really want it. Don’t quit. Also, remember to ask a lot of questions, and always stay moldable.