About Us
Talk-It-Up empowers young people to build confidence, communication skills, and meaningful connections while giving parents and caregivers the tools to support their growth.
Our Mission
Talk-It-Up is to empower parents and their teenagers to work collaboratively to strengthen their relationship while inspiring personal growth.
Our Vision
Talk-It-up’s vision is to see parents/guardians and their youth continuously working as a team to enhance their capacity to create and maintain a nourishing relationship of trust and respect, while continually gaining knowledge and understanding of their individuality and purpose in life, thereby positively impacting their lives and community.
About the Director
Before establishing Talk-It-Up, I worked in the financial sector for over 20 years. I received my Bachelor of Arts in Business Management from The City College of New York. After receiving my undergraduate degree, I began working for JPMorgan Chase. During my two decades with JPMorgan Chase, I obtained my Master’s degree in Organizational Management from the University of Phoenix. Throughout these experiences, I volunteered with several not-for-profit organizations.
Growing up, I often felt that my mother gave more care and attention to my siblings than to me. That feeling shaped me in ways I did not fully understand at the time. It made me act out, pull away, and carry a quiet resentment I could not name. It was only as an adult that I came to see the truth: she cared for me just as deeply. She simply did not worry about me the same way, because in her eyes, I was capable and strong. What I had mistaken for indifference was, in its own way, a form of confidence in me.
But I still wonder. What if she had told me that? What if I had known how to tell her what I was feeling? How much of that silent distance could have been closed with just a few honest words?
Those questions never left me, and they became the foundation for Talk-It-Up. I built it because no child should have to spend years decoding a parent’s love, and no parent should have to wonder whether their child feels seen. Families deserve the tools to say what matters before silence becomes a story that’s hard to unwrite. Talk-It-Up is my answer to the conversations I wish my family had been able to have, and my commitment to making sure yours can.
Sincerely,
