Hope Starts With Us: Strong Black Women Need Help Too

We hope this podcast encourages you, inspires you, helps you and brings you further into the collective to know: you are not alone.

Episodes will air every other Wednesday and will be available on most major directories and apps.

Dr. Alfiee Breland-Noble

Follow on Instagram: @dralfiee

Dr. Alfiee Breland-Noble (aka Dr. Alfiee) is a pioneering psychologist, scientist, author, mental health correspondent, and founder of the innovative nonprofit, The AAKOMA Project. She is also the Chief Mental Wealth Officer for Charlamagne Tha God’s foundation, the Mental Wealth Alliance.

A thought leader in her field, Dr. Alfiee focuses on mental health and suicide prevention (for intersectional Youth and Young Adults of Color, including LGBTQAI+ youth and those with disabilities) along with educating the public about culturally relevant burnout prevention, mindfulness and gratitude practices. Dr. Alfiee envisioned The AAKOMA Project in 1999. While it began as an academic medicine research lab (first at Duke Medicine then at Georgetown Medicine), in 2018, she boldly transitioned AAKOMA into the thriving Woman of Color led, million-dollar mental health nonprofit it is today.

She lives by the mantra that everyone deserves #optimalmentalhealth which should always be informed by #lovelightscience.

Brooke Johnson

Follow on Instagram and LinkedIn

Brooke Johnson is an actor, model and singer who holds a BA in Digital Cinema Arts from Lindenwood University, most recently starring in the new series ‘Journey to America‘, ‘How to Hack Birth Control‘, ‘Roar‘, and a short film titled ‘Sweet 15‘. She received national accolades as she became Miss Alaska USA 2018 and competed in the nationally televised Miss USA competition May of 2018. She has directed, produced, and performed in many of her short films and has studied locally with Billy ‘Sly’ Williams and Tasha Smith.

Commercially, Brooke starred in a national commercials with American Express, Overstock.com, NYX Cosmetics, and Ulta Beauty. She currently has pop music under the performance name Brooke J streaming on Apple Music, Spotify, and directed their respective music videos on YouTube. Her passion for film and TV inspired her to create her podcast, No Spoilers, now streaming on Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.

While serving The Great State of Alaska, Brooke was able to adopt a platform to educate future generations about self-esteem, mental health awareness, and bullying with the creation of her project Crowning Confidence. She also serves as a national ambassador for the National Alliance on Mental Illness. She’s an avid roller skater, traveler, and nacho connoisseur. Born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska, Brooke traded in her Xtratuf boots for flip flops and is currently living in Los Angeles continuing to pursue all her aspirations.

April Simpkins

Follow on Instagram: @AprilS_HR

April is a mental health advocate and an Ambassador for the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). Her commitment to breaking the stigma of mental illness resulted in her earning certifications in Mental Health First Aid and Emotional-CPR. She has also completed QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) suicide prevention training. April co-authored a New York Times Bestseller titled “By The Time You Read This – The Space Between Cheslie’s Smile and Mental Illness- Her Story In Her Own Words.” This book is co-authored by Cheslie Kryst, April’s daughter.

April is also a multi-certified HR Professional with 30+ years of executive-level Human Resources experience. She is currently the Chief Human Resources Officer at a fast-growing national company. April’s knowledge and expertise, coupled with her continued study of Human Resources trends, have made her a trusted advisor for many in the business community. An international speaker, April shares her knowledge and expertise on leadership, culture, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). She has presented at large business conferences and universities, including Harvard University Extension School, The Citadel, and the University of South Carolina, to name a few.

April has received many awards and honors for her business acumen. In 2020, she received the Women In Business Achievement Award from the Charlotte Business Journal and was named one of Charlotte’s 50 Most Influential Women by Mecklenburg Times.