IMPACT Leader(s) of the Month: Tina and Trina Fletcher

Tina and Trina Fletcher are community leaders and entrepreneurs motivated to inspire and dedicated to serve. Born and raised in rural Arkansas, Tina and Trina are determined to positively impact local and global communities – one person at a time.

Tina holds a Bachelors degree Political Science and African American Studies from the University of Arkansas and a Masters degree from Harvard University in Secondary Education. She has worked in the United States Senate, the Southern Education Foundation and in the Office of the First Lady Michelle Obama. Tina currently serves as a Finance Assistant for the Obama for America campaign and most recently served as a teacher at Anacostia Senior High School in Washington, D.C. where she was named the 2010 Teacher of the Year.  She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., the N.A.A.C.P. and serves as a board member of three non-profit organizations.  

Trina is an honors graduate of the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff where she received a Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Technology. She received her Master’s degree in Operations Management from the University of Arkansas and is currently a graduate student in George Washington University’s Engineering Management program. She has interned with Norfolk State University, Lockheed Martin, Caterpillar, and Kellogg’s. Trina was named an Inspiring Woman by the WNBA’s New York Liberty and is a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. She currently serves as a board member on the Social Justice Committee for the YWCA of Greater Washington, D.C.

Tina and Trina, both 25 years of age, are the co-founders of the Dream Girls Mentoring program; a mentoring program for girls aged 5 to 18 residing in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. Tina and Trina enjoy traveling and speaking about the significance of education and mentoring amongst other topics. In the near future, Tina plans to earn a Ph.D. in Political Science and Trina plans to earn a Ph.D. in Engineering – both hoping to become college professors.

Getting to Know Tina and Trina

1. What inspired you to create DreamGirls DMV?  Was this your first entrepreneurial venture?

TINA:  It actually started last spring, as the D.C. Public Schools school year was finishing, I would ask a lot of students about their summer plans.  Many of the female students had none, so I decided to take a group of girls to a Mystics game in June. Then, we took them to another game in August. From there, we created Mentoring With the Mystics, a mentoring program where the girls were able to sit courtside at the games, meet the players afterward and interact in a positive atmosphere.  After its success, many of the parents encouraged us to start a larger-scale program, so we launched DreamGirls DMV last fall. 

TRINA:  In addition to the high school girls, we bought in young, professional women to come to the games and sit with the girls and eventually serve as mentors.  Once we launched DreamGirls DMV, we reached out to Jeri Ingram, the program director of the Southeast Tennis and Learning Center, which is a facility in S.E., DC, which was donated by Venus and Serena Williams.  It serves as our headquarters now. Dream Girls went so well the first year that the YWCA has reached out to partner with us, and are covering all of our expenses for this year.  The only way we were able to do this was through networking – because we had no initial funding.

2. What is it like working with your sibling? Do you think it’s made running your own business easier? Or more difficult?

TINA:  It’s really easy because we have the same passion. We’re so passionate about Dream Girls DMV, so it’s easy for us to want to work really hard for this program and this business. 

TRINA:  At the same time, it is difficult because we are both extremely competitive and have very different backgrounds. I’m an engineer, and Tina’s an educator, so we have different ways of doing things. As long as you and your business partner have the same goals and passions, everything should be fine.  Regardless, communication is the key to success – whether you’re working with your sibling or not.

3. What is the key to balancing your professional, philanthropic and social commitments? 

TRINA:  It’s difficult. When I was working full time for Johnson and Johnson, I was still traveling and speaking and coaching a girl’s basketball team.  It was hard, and the main reason I followed my heart and left my job to go back to school and commit more time to doing the things I love and am most passionate about.  I think it’s possible if you have good time management skills, especially if you have a great mentor who can talk to and help you balance your schedule.  However, there may come a time when you have to make a choice – and that might mean leaving that good moneymaking job in order to do what you really want to do.

TINA: Sacrifices are key. I was teaching, and now that I’m on the campaign, so my jobs are always time consuming that I have to prioritize.  For me, my job comes first. Speaking and mentoring are what I’m passionate about and come next, so yes, my social life has paid a high price.  Going out with friends is important, but I love my job and I love mentoring, so I sacrifice my social life.

TRINA: At the end of the day, it’s about being happy.

4. What are the biggest mistakes young professionals make? 

TRINA: Not seeking professional advice! Even with the nonprofit process, we were going online, trying to find information and do everything ourselves. We could have saved a lot of time and money had we just ASKED someone.  Take advice, pursue pro-bono services, all of that.

TINA: Our generation, the Millenial’s, we’re very competitive.  So many think they can do it all on your own, but sometimes you need to seek advice – not only form mentors, but people our own age. 

TRINA: We’re firm believers that the more people we help, the more blessings we’ll receive.  So the more people we can help – sometimes before ourselves –  we think that’s a good thing. 

5. What advice would you give other young entrepreneurs who desire to excel in the nation’s capital? Specifically, for other young women of color who are entrepreneurs

• Find mentors in the city in whatever area you’re interested. There are a lot of professional women of color in this area who are doing great things and are willing to help.  Especially if you are new to DC – find those women!
• Find your niche – find that one thing you are really good at and capitalize on it. 
• Be willing to work with someone else! 
• Be realistic – we see the founder of Facebook and think, “oh, I can create something like that…” and be a millionaire next week. It doesn’t always happen like that – you have to be patient.
• Be willing to be flexible.
• Set goals.
• Have good time management.

6. What’s been the best experience of your career thus far (or the most rewarding)? 

TINA:  As a teacher and a mentor, it’s watching these students grow and overcome stereotypes and all of the things people told them they wouldn’t do.  Watching them go off to a Xavier University or a Pennsylvania State University. Kids from S.E., DC, Anacostia High graduates, with the help of our mentors, are going to college fearless become someone has enabled them.

TRINA: Through Dream Girls, we’ve had girls say to us, “if it wasn’t for you guys, I wouldn’t have graduated.” Motivating people saves lives.

7. What’s next for you guys? Any upcoming projects we look out for?

We wanted to wait until we established a strong foundation with Dream Girls before growing, but we are in the process of finalizing our non-profit paperwork so we can start a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) program for minority youth, an LGBT mentoring program, and a collaborative program with all Greek Letter Organizations to combat community-based issues.  We’re also consulting in our areas of expertise.

8. Lastly, give me three words to sum up Tina and Trina.

TINA:  Dedicated, motivated, inspired.
TRINA:  Passionate, determined and fearless.