Meet Star Williams | Non Profit Founder, Executive & Educator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Star Williams and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Star, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
After retiring from the military in 2015, I decided to move back home to Dallas to start my life after more than two decades of serving in the United States Navy. I had no clue of exactly what I wanted to do but I knew it had to be something impactful. After spending some quality time with my family and making my rounds in the community I noticed that things around me felt as though time had stood still. Our neighborhood was not thriving in the way that I knew that it could, and I felt the need to do something. Our parks, schools, recreation centers, businesses, and much of our neighborhood looked dilapidated, as if we were forgotten about. Like many people who start non profit organizations, I knew something had to be done. During my service in the military I’d worked a number of humanitarian efforts in numerous countries but now I wanted to help my very own community. A light bulb went off and overnight I created Stars United Global Outreach which launched in March 2015. Starting the nonprofit was not easy but I knew it would be rewarding to help my community thrive and not just survive.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Stars United Global Outreach works with at risk youth to deliver high impact training by empowering, equipping, and mobilizing them to create social change and break barriers. Through our programs and workshops, we develop our youth in life skills, leadership skills, and financial literacy with a keen focus on entrepreneurship & economic development. We also provide our students with strong mentors and positive role models. Our goal is to ensure that we create a positive atmosphere that leads to an increase in the quality of life for our youth & ultimately lead them in the best direction to make sound educational plans, career goals & become future leaders in their communities.

We aim to provide youth in the Dallas area a nurturing environment in which they can embrace their identity and reach their fullest potential. We strive to inspire action and support our community’s young people with purposeful programming and devoted mentors. At Stars United Global Outreach, we care about what we do and hope to develop strong children, families and communities across the city through academic readiness, character development, and social enrichment activities. We believe that education is fundamental to overcoming and breaking the cycle of high dropout rates, leading to generational poverty. Our programs provide a path to increased confidence, self-reliance, and enhanced critical thinking skills.

The nonprofit sector does not come without it’s challenges but the way that we overcome any obstacles is by building healthy relationships with other community organizations. We glean from others that have overcome many of the same challenges that we have had. Just as we teach our students, we embrace the learning environment by understanding that we should never stop learning and growing regardless of roadblocks.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If my best friend was visiting, I would take them to two of my favorite spots just to start with. I would first take them to Pan African Connection for all of their cultural needs. They are so much more than a bookstore offering clothing, accessories, and a host of fun activities like drum circle, yoga, and open mic nights. After a full day of visiting PAC, I would take them to my favorite restaurant, Cherry Moon Grill & Bar where they offer a wide variety of food and fun activities such as karaoke and live music. I would finally fill the remainder of their week with a host of amazing museums and tours to include but not limited to Remembering Black Dallas, African American Museum, South Dallas Cultural Center, Dallas Arboretum, Bishop Arts District, and a full day of touring downtown Dallas for more food, fun, shopping, and entertainment.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are so many people who have supported not only me personally on this journey but have been steadfast in the level of support they’ve given Stars United Global Outreach as a whole. First and foremost, I have the absolutely BEST family that anyone can ask for. My husband, sister, grandmother and brother have been significant in encouraging me to keep pushing even when the work gets challenging. They have a way of getting me see beyond the fork in the road. I have an amazing group of board members, staff, and volunteers who keep me on my toes. They are truly my sounding board and sometimes the miracle workers when it comes to bringing our ideas to fruition. I can’t forget about a few gal pals Dr. Taylor Bunn, Dr. Shaundell Pannell, and Tenisha Foy for helping me do that mirror work when I want to throw in the towel. They have a clever way of getting me to remember my “why.” Last but certainly not least, although my mother is not here with me physically, she continues to be a bright light in my life. In those quiet moments when it’s only me she has a way of guiding me in my decision making and just giving me a good old laugh when I need it most.

Website: www.starsunitedglobaloutreach.org

Instagram: @starsugo

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/starsunitedglobaloutreach/

Twitter: @starsugo

Facebook: @starsunitedglobaloutreach

Image Credits
Lynsey Walters, Let Me Focus On You