Today we’d like to introduce you to Bernisha Salmond-Lawton.
Hi Bernisha, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My name is Bernisha Salmond Lawton. I am 37 years old, a wife, a proud mother of four, and a lifelong Philadelphia girl. I love to travel, spend quality time with my family, and I am a huge Philadelphia Eagles fan Go Birds!
Some fun facts about me: I’m a true lover of calm, creative spaces. I enjoy museums, quiet environments, and getting lost in interesting books. I’m a big foodie — sushi is my favorite — and I love a good restaurant with fine wine and great ambiance. I’m also really into hot power yoga, which helps me stay grounded and balanced. Creatively, I’m a self-taught web designer and genuinely enjoy building websites for others. I pick things up quickly, and once I learn something, I’m locked in that’s just how my brain works.
Above all, I’m a proud and intentional mom. I make it a priority to create experiences for my children, including taking them to Disney World every year and traveling often — I’m definitely the “passport mom.” One of my proudest moments is watching my 18-year-old daughter get accepted into 12 HBCUs with over $300,000 in scholarship offers. That achievement represents everything I’ve promised myself as a mother: exposure, opportunity, and showing my children that excellence is not optional it’s attainable.
I grew up in an inner-city community in Philadelphia, where I saw firsthand how systemic challenges impact children and families. In neighborhoods like mine, many kids carry heavy burdens early in life, often facing loss, instability, and limited support. My understanding of this began at birth. My father passed away the day I was born, and growing up without him shaped my outlook, my resilience, and my awareness of how much it matters to have someone show up for you.
After a difficult day at school as a teenager, I was assigned an advocate through Philadelphia Family Programs. That moment changed my life. My advocate, Pam, made me feel seen, heard, and capable. She showed me what it looked like to truly support youth and families, and she helped me believe that I was good enough to do the work she was doing in the community. We are still in touch today, and her impact on my life remains profound.
In 2008, at just 19 years old, I began my journey in youth advocacy. What started as personal experience quickly became purpose. I did not just want help for myself; I wanted to be that support for the next young person who felt overlooked or misunderstood.
In 2010, I reached a defining milestone when I spoke at the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania House of Representatives before the House Children and Youth Committee at the Main Capitol. This was my first public speaking appearance, where I shared my perspective during a public hearing on delinquency prevention and alternatives to detention. Standing in that space and using my voice to advocate for youth confirmed that this work was more than passion , it was my calling. It motivated me to deepen my understanding of juvenile delinquency, prevention, and the systems that shape the lives of young people
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
One of the greatest challenges I faced was fighting the zoning board while opening my second childcare center in Philadelphia. This center meant everything to me. It was located just ten doors down from the house my great-grandmother raised me in, in the same building that once served as the neighborhood doctor’s office when I was a little girl. Bringing a childcare center into that space felt full circle — personal, purposeful, and deeply rooted in community.
The process, however, was far from easy. I was denied zoning approval to open a childcare center in a residential area and had to fight through multiple layers of resistance. This was happening in the middle of the pandemic, a time when childcare centers were closing at alarming rates and families needed support more than ever. Frontline workers still had to show up to work every day, and safe, reliable childcare was essential. Despite the clear community need, I was rejected once by the zoning board and once by the community’s Registered Community Organization (RCO), which forced me to start the entire process from scratch.
I refused to let that stop me. Quitting was not an option when the families and children in the community were counting on me. I knew this center was about more than childcare it was about service. We envisioned hosting our first annual coat drive for Philadelphia families, creating jobs within the neighborhood, and offering CPR and first-aid classes to the public on Saturdays after partnering with the American Red Cross. These efforts were about strengthening the community as a whole, yet we were restricted from moving forward.
I hired my attorney, Leo, and together we built a plan that highlighted our commitment to community investment, employment opportunities, and public service. Even after multiple court appearances, difficult meetings with neighbors, and pushback around issues like parking, I stayed the course. Financially, it was one of the hardest periods of my life. For over a year, we brought in no revenue while continuing to pour money into a business that could not yet open.
After more than a year of persistence, advocacy, and sacrifice, we were finally granted zoning approval. That experience did not break me it refined me. It strengthened my resilience and reaffirmed my purpose. I didn’t allow the difficulty of the process to define me or deter me. Instead, it reminded me why I do this work: to serve, to uplift, and to create spaces that truly meet the needs of our communities, even when the system makes it difficult to do so. Watch Us Grow Learning Center 2 was finally on the way to opening. Balancing motherhood, entrepreneurship, and work has been one of the most challenging yet defining periods of my life. While raising my children, running my business, and working a part-time job, I also made the decision to return to school shortly after opening my second childcare center. Managing all of these responsibilities required discipline, sacrifice, and intentional time management. I had to carefully plan my days, write out my schedule, and remain committed even when the workload felt overwhelming. Despite the challenges, I graduated with my undergraduate degree cum laude with a 3.74 GPA and was inducted into the Delta Kappa Honor Society. That experience taught me the power of perseverance, structure, and belief in myself, proving that with focus and determination, it is possible to excel even while carrying multiple responsibilities.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
My work centers on youth advocacy, family support, and community-based services. I specialize in working with children and families who are navigating systemic barriers, particularly those impacted by poverty, trauma, and involvement with the child welfare or juvenile justice systems. My background spans youth advocacy, early childhood education, and entrepreneurship, which allows me to approach this work from both a human and systems-level perspective.
I am best known for being deeply rooted in the communities I serve. I do not approach my work from the outside looking in — my passion is shaped by lived experience. I began this journey as a young person who once needed an advocate myself, and that experience continues to guide how I show up for others. Over the years, I have worked directly with youth and families, spoken at the Pennsylvania House of Representatives on delinquency prevention and alternatives to detention, and built childcare centers that are designed not just as businesses, but as community resources.
What I am most proud of is my ability to create impact beyond a job title. From opening childcare centers in underserved neighborhoods to organizing coat drives, offering CPR and first-aid training to the public, and creating employment opportunities within the community, my work is always about meeting real needs. I am also proud of my persistence — whether advocating for youth in courtrooms or fighting for over a year to secure zoning approval during a pandemic, I do not give up on the people or communities I commit to serving.
What sets me apart is the combination of lived experience, advocacy, and leadership. I understand the systems because I have navigated them personally and professionally. I lead with empathy, resilience, and accountability, and I am not afraid to challenge barriers that stand in the way of progress. At my core, I am known for being someone who shows up, speaks up, and builds pathways where none previously existed.
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
Something people may not know about me is that I am currently in the process of applying to law school. Taking this step has been a major leap, and 2024 was truly a defining year for me. It was a season of growth, alignment, and intentional change that allowed me to move closer to my long-term purpose.
In 2024, I made the decision to transition my childcare program to a fully virtual platform. Through a collaboration with KKIS, an organization based in Quintana Roo, Mexico, we expanded our work beyond local boundaries and into global education. This shift allowed us to support students facing language barriers, particularly with English language development, while also assisting college students working toward their degrees. I’ve had the opportunity to work with students pursuing careers in engineering, childcare, and other professional fields, which has been both inspiring and fulfilling. Creating access to education on a global scale affirmed my belief that advocacy does not have borders.
This transition also created space for me to prepare more intentionally for law school. It allowed me to realign my focus, deepen my studies, and gain more hands-on experience in advocacy. In 2025, I worked on a major case that placed me directly in the courtroom, witnessing the realities of the legal system up close. Sitting in that space, absorbing the weight of what was at stake, and advocating in real time was emotional, powerful, and confirming. It solidified that this next chapter law is exactly where I am meant to be.
2025 was a year of clarity for me. I learned who my real support system was, became more disciplined, and grew more focused than ever. I didn’t isolate myself, but I became intentional about where I put my energy. I studied, stayed committed to my goals, and pursued what I want with confidence and purpose.
As a Black woman stepping into this next phase, I am proud of the risks I’ve taken and the growth that followed. Every transition I’ve made has been strategic, rooted in service, and aligned with a bigger vision. Law school is not a departure from my work it is the evolution of it.
Now I get to help other women open up childcare centers and it has been so rewarding.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/BWLEN
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bernisha-salmond-306239384
Image Credits
Legacy photos – I purchased my own pictures
@phillyphotospot where I also paid for my photos after shoot
