Today we’d like to introduce you to Shelley Francis.
Shelley, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
My family immigrated to the United States from the Caribbean in search of a better life and new opportunities for their family. We first settled in Brooklyn, NY before relocating to the Philadelphia suburbs. My parents were exposed to entrepreneurship growing up through their parents and extended family members. My father has had his own business for the last 30 or so years and I have watched my friends/peers start and manage businesses. I have always had an interest in starting my own business. So over the years, I have worked with and/or connected with different colleagues/individuals. They were doing similar things of interest. Growing up, I wanted to be a lawyer, physician, engineer and ended up in public health. Public Health was a great blend of topics/subject areas that I was very passionate about women’s health and African American health/well being. Then once I got exposed to facilitating research projects, doing community events, and working in different communities, I selected the field that was right for me. Once I decided on public health as a career, I knew I had to go to graduate school after undergrad and then I worked for several years and decided to return to graduate school to pursue a Ph.D. – which was one of the best moves I could have made. I was blessed to be able to attend the #1 School of Public Health in the country – the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. UNC exposed me to faculty, classmates and opportunities that have helped shape both my professional and personal development.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Oh no, nothing worth having is easy to obtain. There have been many ups and downs / some doors were closed but many more have been open. Some of the struggles have included FEAR – Future Events Appearing Real — being willing to take a chance on yourself was a big hurdle for me. It helps being a planner – that’s definitely one of my skill sets but it can also slow you down. What has helped me is to surround myself with positive people, people who are doing things that I want to make career-wise and who I can learn from along with making time for self-care e.g., exercise/reading and reflection.
Please tell us about the organization.
Founded in 2015, EVHybriNoire (EVHN) is an independent 501c3 organization and the largest nationwide network of diverse EV drivers and enthusiasts. EVHN was co-founded by myself and Terry Travis. Given my background as a former Medical School professor specializing in health disparities, → I have always had an interest in environmental justice and equity so forming an organization that works to address and mitigate environmental inequities aligns with my passion and values.
Our mission is to raise awareness about clean transportation/electric vehicles (EVs) and their benefits in communities of color, advocate for policies to expand charging infrastructure in underserved communities, provide opportunities for economic development and share our story of diverse support for EVs. We advocate on behalf of diverse communities and individuals whose voices are often left out of mobility conversations in the U.S., including African American, Hispanic & Asian communities; disadvantaged and underserved communities; women; immigrant and refugee communities; LGBTQ and rural communities.
Things that I am most proud of is that our Team is nationally recognized as thought leaders in transportation, EMobility equity and best practice. In 2019 we received the Community Partnership award for our work at Roadmap, the largest EMobility/Transportation conference in the United States. I’m also humbled to be able to work with people who are so excited to learn about the technology, explore career opportunities, and engage with to learn how they can use and benefit from affordable, clean transportation options.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
A lot. Although I’m not sure if it’s luck or not. I would say it’s a blessing instead. The last few years I have been pretty lucky / blessed to be able to do something that I love, that I feel like I have been preparing from undergrad because I have been able to take skills and knowledge that I have gained from each job that I have had to inform what I do today. I’m blessed to be able to do something where I can make an immediate impact by educating more communities about the financial and public health benefits of clean transportation.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.evhybridnoire.com
- Phone: 888.MOB.ILTY
- Email: shelley@evhybridnoire.com
- Instagram: dr_ev_shelley
- Facebook: EVHybridNoire
- Twitter: @DrShelley1
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