Tameka Brown, a Durham native, is the Founding Executive Director of Helping Each Adolescent Reach Their Spark, affectionately known as H.E.A.R.T.S. Prior to founding the organization in 2012, Tameka holds a Bachelor of Science degree from North Carolina A&T State University (the best HBCU in the nation) and served as a Family and Consumer Sciences Teacher in both Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools and Durham Public Schools. Her passion for supporting teen parents began in those classrooms, as she saw firsthand how her own best friend and students were forced to drop out of school because support systems weren’t available to help them navigate and overcome their new challenges. Through the journey of developing her craft, Tameka is a graduate of Helius Foundation’s Unity Fellowship program, a Leadership Triangle Goodmon Fellow (Class of 2021) and is a United Way 10 to Watch leader. Tameka is a proud mom to her 15-year-old daughter who is the motivation behind her drive.