Today we’d like to introduce you to Chenoah Porter-Blount. They and their team shared their story with us below:
Only 28, Chenoah Porter-Blount serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Stacey Blount’s Rising Stars Organization. A non-profit organization dedicated to the empowerment of young women through education and leadership, especially within areas that face heavy adversity, in honor of her late mother, Stacey Porter Blount. Hailing from Brooklyn, New York, Chenoah is a graduate of Seton Hall University, where she studied Social and Behavioral Science and Political Science. During her time at Seton Hall, she continued her love for community engagement by becoming a brother of Alpha Phi Omega, National Service Fraternity, to continue her efforts to become a change agent for her city and state.
After graduating from Seton Hall in 2017, With her passion for social justice and wanting to use her voice to shed light on her platform, girl empowerment through education, she became Miss New Jersey United States 2018. Winning her prestigious state title allowed her to connect with over 500 students and interact with various schools across the New York and New Jersey Region while focusing on the core mission of her Non-Profit organization: To enrich and empower young women to become leaders, to take part in advancing their communities, to increase their goals for their education, and to prepare for future economic opportunities. “We believe that when women empower each other, it gives them the ability to drive economic, social, and political change.” She focuses on building powerful young women through curated workshops and conferences so they may develop their own voice and strengthen their leadership abilities.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Love this question. Of course, I would love to say that I did not struggle, however, it isn’t reality. As I am growing my non-profit organization, I am still working on correcting certain things from past experiences and events. Making sure the program really plays an integral part in these young women’s lives is probably the largest challenge. You want to make sure they are learning, growing, and most of all engaged with what you are bringing to them, and no two young girls are alike.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Apart from being the CEO of my own organization, I am a marketing manager, publicist, and model. After winning the title of Miss New Jersey United States in 2018, I had to put the time into “marketing” myself, which turned into some amazing opportunities for my modeling and marketing career. Not only did I get to experience being the face of a black owned cosmetics brand called Rich in Color Cosmetics, I was also given the chance to contribute my creative expertise which led to being hired as the social media marketing manager and creative director. From there, I was able to work for Little Words Project as a marketing coordinator and worked on amazing collaborative campaigns such as Clueless, Barbie, Abercrombie, and so much more. Today, I am currently the social media manager and publicist for a prominent PR agency while still making sure I am contributing to the growth and success of young women across the NY/NJ region. I am hopeful that it will impact women nationwide. I believe the thing I am most proud of is my Non-Profit Organization. This was my mother’s dream, and due to losing her too soon, I am honored to uphold the legacy she wanted to curate for young women who face tremendous adversity the same way I did growing up. What sets me apart from others is my commitment to community and collaboration. So many people focus their efforts on “making it” alone, not realizing building together can take you further and higher.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you.
I believe it’s my mom and not luck. I’m a very spiritual person so I believe my mom and my ancestors work on my behalf as long as I do my part here on earth. It’s about how hard I am willing to work and how much I am willing to network.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: ChenoahPorter
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/chenoahporterblount
Image Credits
Jessielyn Palumbo
James Roundtree
