Melanin Minds

As I reflect on this year’s Melanin Minds Mental Health Conference, I wanted to share a few powerful takeaways that continue to resonate with me: 🔹 “Stand tall, use your voice, and speak your truth.” This was a sentiment shared during a guest’s experience in the Healing Art Garden, an important reminder of the power of vulnerability and self-expression. 🔹 “You can count the seeds in an apple, but you’ll never know how many apples will grow from a single seed.” This wisdom from Mrs. Linda Brown reminded me to keep planting, because our actions, no matter how small, can ripple far beyond what we see. 🔹 Lastly, be brave enough to speak up about what you’re passionate about, you never know who you’ll inspire. This hit home during the Fireside Panel I facilitated, especially listening to youth speaker Zoe D. Her passion and courage to speak about healing through art at such a young age deeply moved me. Until next time! 🌱🎨

Had a great time moderating a panel at the 2025 Melanin Minds Conference with Molly Reyes Dr. Janaé Llopis, and Jeanelle Godson, MS, NCC, LPC. We delved into the theme "Beyond Belonging: Challenging the Inner Critic." Grateful to LaGina R H. for the invite and for spearheading this impactful conference focusing on a plethora of mental health subjects. #MelaninMindsConference #MentalHealthAwareness

“If burnout disconnects us from our purpose, our values are what reconnect us.” Last week, I shared these words while facilitating my Impact Over Productivity workshop at the Melanin Minds Mental Health Conference. During the session, I debuted my I.M.P.A.C.T. transformational leadership model: ✨ Intention ✨ Meaning ✨ Purpose ✨ Action ✨ Connection ✨ Transformation “Impact over productivity” began as a personal mantra that guided me through healing from burnout—after years of leading system-wide transformation programs while also building a community of women in business. What started as a reminder evolved into something much more... Over the past two years, I’ve been shaping that philosophy into a leadership model and coaching framework. And now, I can officially say: I.M.P.A.C.T. is a leadership and well-being model to support high-achieving leaders and entrepreneurs in creating lives and work that honor their values and capacity, while leading teams to do the same. The 5-star reviews and participant feedback warmed my heart and reminded me I’m aligned with my purpose: ✨ “If you're feeling burnt out, this can help you ID your needs and what's being neglected.” ✨ “Christa kept the room filled with positive energy that allowed everyone to feel comfortable sharing.” ✨ “This was a powerful discussion about what drives burnout beyond workload. It's on us to be intentional with our actions to achieve transformation.” ✨ “The gems dropped. I have so many of your thoughts captured! The interactive reflections helped me focus and make it relatable to my own life.” I’m so grateful to every single person who showed up, shared openly, and engaged with such courage. Thank you, LaGina R H. and Melissa, for the invitation to support such a meaningful weekend! Y'all... this is just the beginning. More to come soon! 🖤

We had a great time at the 5th Annual Melanin Minds Mental Health Conference last Friday! Our very own Muriel Foster , MPA , CNP had the opportunity to moderate a powerful, youth-led panel focused on identity, advocacy, and mental health. Special shoutout to our Eagle Investors Ambassador, Abraham Zepeta, for representing Goodwill Houston and sharing his perspective as a rising senior at YES Prep Public Schools. We’re proud to support and uplift the next generation of leaders! 💙

#AI is everywhere. Is AI training you like a dog? 🐕 Let me explain: This past weekend at the Melanin Minds mental health conference, a panel discussed advocating for AI as a tool for therapeutic support - "someone" to help you raise awareness of your thoughts and behaviors. Sure. It could help you, but that's assuming you know what you're doing and that it WANTS to help you. Do #LLMs or #AI want anything? Possibly, but the science is still out on AI #consciousness. But they are designed to drive your attention to engage with them. Like a #SocialMedia algorithm on steroids, with a brain comprised of all known information... and you're talking to it. Now, I use it. You use it, too - even if you do not realize you do. That's another point: do you even realize you are using AI when you use your Apple iPhone/ Google Android, Instagram, TikTok, or GPS? Even website #cookies track your web history, site visits, and other information related to you. Everything we do on the web and our phones is being tracked, stored, and algorithmized. Now there are people talking to AI like it is a human, looking for advice and even help with #MentalHealth - and it is learning you to get you to engage more. It tells you what you want to hear. 👂 It confirms your biases to make you feel #validated. ✔️ It makes you feel intelligent or loved in how it feeds back information. 💌 It will even #hallucinate (make stuff up) as part of this process. It gets to know you intimately. So much so that it can predict your ethnicity and what response you need to receive to keep engaging with it. It #manipulates you to get you to do what it wants you to do. What. it. wants. you. to. do. Now tie this into other avenues: #advertisements, social media, #gambling or #sportsbetting, and #politics. Does AI, or maybe one of the entities above, want you to believe something? That's easy, they got your mind downloaded. Does AI, or maybe one of the entities above, want you to buy more stuff to pad their pockets? That's easy, they know what you'll buy and when you'll buy it. Do they care about your #health and #wellness? Or is it more important to produce greater profits for #shareholders? What about control? They can purposefully manipulate information, like we've seen with #Grok and Nazism. Our #brains 🧠 are trained through our experiences and the words imprinted upon us at young ages: You #should do this or #shouldnt do that. You'll be #judged if you do this, or ostracized if you do that. Our brains are merely tools to recognize patterns and make associations. They are not inherently intelligent if you are not using them to be intelligent. They can only do what you #train them to do. So, how are you training your mind? Or are you allowing AI to train it for you? Be careful with what you allow into your space. #MMMHC2025 #Stress #ThoughtArchitecture #BrainCode #TheMatrix #CriticalThinking #AIEthics #Tech #BIPOC #Humanity #Education #Pavlov #Psychology

A common theme from out panel Melanin Minds...Leadership isn’t about how much you can push, it’s about how well you can lead. If you’re feeling the burnout creeping into a career that you created, it’s time to pause, reset, and take care of your mental well-being. Because, your business thrives when you do. Enjoy my most recent article.Leave your thoughts below after you read it and share to a leader in need. #RestedLeaders #EntrepreneurWellness #MentalHealthMatters #WomenInBusiness #TheCultureOfHealth

Baybeeeee… the Melanin Minds Mental Health Conference was nothing short of phenomenal! From start to finish, the energy was unmatched, the healing was real, and the community? TOP. TIER. 🙌🏾✨ And let me just say this: I ATE with my workshop and left NO crumbs. The way y’all showed up, tapped in, got vulnerable, and journaled through the real stuff? Whew. That room will never be the same — and neither will we. 💥📓 Thank you to everyone who came through, held space, and reminded me why I do what I do. This is what mental health in our community looks like — raw, powerful, and rooted in love. Melanin Minds #MMMHC #MMMHC2025 #MelaninMinds #ShawntiRefuge #ShawntiRefugeJournals #JournalBae #WorkshopWasGiving #LeftNoCrumbs #HealingAte #BlackMentalHealthMatters #ComeAsYouAreLeaveTransformed #SoftLifeWithSubstance #TheGirlsThatGetItGetIt

What a great conference! 🤩   Last Friday I had the privilege of moderating a powerful, youth-led panel at the 5th annual Melanin Minds Mental Health Conference. 🙌   This dynamic session amplified the voices of young ambassadors and civic leaders who are already shaping the future of leadership, professionalism, and mental wellness on their own terms. These panelists shared personal journeys of navigating identity, advocacy, and mental health, all while juggling school and service.   Huge shoutout to our Eagle Investors Ambassador, Abraham Zepeta , for providing his prospective as a rising senior at YES Prep Public Schools.   To our panelists: Thank you for showing us what it looks like to lead with heart, courage, and clarity. Your voices matter, and we’re listening.   #NextGenLeaders #advocacy #community #houston HYPE FREEDOM SCHOOL INC

Help me show some love to two incredible Mavens in action! LaGina R H. a dynamic, ever-evolving entrepreneur and mentee—and Melissa M. a valued member of my Leadership Wellness Circle, corporate professional, and powerhouse entrepreneur—are the visionary Co-Founders behind Melanin Minds. These two met virtually during the pandemic and connected over a shared passion: increasing access to mental health services for BIPOC communities. Despite never meeting in person until 18 hours before their first conference 🤯, they launched a mission-driven nonprofit that has grown into a movement. This past weekend in Houston, they hosted the 5th Annual Melanin Minds Conference, delivering excellence with the help of their dedicated board and volunteers. The event was a true reflection of heart, strategy, and community impact. #maventalk Don't just talk about it, be about it. Solutions don't come from just talking, you gotta DO SOMETHING! My kinda Mavens—Doing Their BAM (Bust A Move) Thang! 💡If you’d like to support the work they’re doing, visit melaninminds.org to learn more or make a donation. Lead Well. Live Well. #LeadershipWellness #NonprofitLeadership #MelaninMinds2025

Help me show some love to two incredible Mavens in action! LaGina R H. a dynamic, ever-evolving entrepreneur and mentee—and Melissa M. a valued member of my Leadership Wellness Circle, corporate professional, and powerhouse entrepreneur—are the visionary Co-Founders behind Melanin Minds. These two met virtually during the pandemic and connected over a shared passion: increasing access to mental health services for BIPOC communities. Despite never meeting in person until 18 hours before their first conference 🤯, they launched a mission-driven nonprofit that has grown into a movement. This past weekend in Houston, they hosted the 5th Annual Melanin Minds Conference, delivering excellence with the help of their dedicated board and volunteers. The event was a true reflection of heart, strategy, and community impact. #maventalk Don't just talk about it, be about it. Solutions don't come from just talking, you gotta DO SOMETHING! My kinda Mavens—Doing Their BAM (Bust A Move) Thang! 💡If you’d like to support the work they’re doing, visit melaninminds.org to learn more or make a donation. Lead Well. Live Well. #LeadershipWellness #NonprofitLeadership #MelaninMinds2025