Today we’d like to introduce you to LaSha’ Rockymore.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
As many others, my past is what will shape my future. I’m the youngest and only girl of four siblings. I am also the first in my family to graduate from a four-year university with my Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work. Overcoming adversity and breaking pre-planned statistics was all I knew. For the past six years, I worked in my purpose field as a Specialist working with pregnant women and babies between 0-5 and Outreach Coordinator. For the first time ever, the job that I absolutely loved and admired became so heavy I had to make a decision. For 5.5 years, it was so easy to wake up and never feel like I ever clocked in. The last few months of employment, I was fighting myself to even show up even knowing I could do the job with my eyes closed. I stopped working my 1st professional career job in May 2021. The last paycheck I received from employment went to pay for the registration applications for my nonprofit and small business.
Fast forward today, as of January 2022, I am the current CEO and Founder of a 501(c)3 nonprofit called Music, Fashion, and Arts (MFA) Foundation. Our mission is to encourage professional growth through community, culture, & creativity. Art displayed by performing artists, fashion designers, & visual art exhibits all across the Tri-State region. Each creative path is directed by a business owner in the community. The Director of Music is Jabo2Crunk, owner of Killin Tha Streets. The Director of Fashion is Venita Rhodes, owner of The Infamous Vee. And the Director of Arts is Juanita Montgomery, owner of I’m Going All The Way and Discombobulated Brand. Each Director specializes in their fields and brings a professional perspective to the foundation.
In addition to MFA Foundation, I am also the owner of a marketing and advertisement agency called The Woodwork Agency. Our mission is to innovate the world’s next creators, thinkers, and doers. We specialize in non-profit logistics and strategic planning. The Woodwork Agency is responsible for all the current promo and marketing for Music, Fashion, and Arts Foundation.
To sum it up, I present to you a new wave of Social Entertainment.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Obstacles are expected when achieving goals that have never been reached. I have worked in the non-profit community since I was a teen. I have never worked for a for profit business besides fast food restaurants as a teen. I’ve always wanted to start a non-profit with impact. No one told me how many different forms and fees was needed for the process. I thought completing the one form would get us where we needed to be but I was quickly informed otherwise. Paperwork is important. It’s also important to follow through. No one guided me through this process. From past experience and recent knowledge, I was able to form a federally recognized nonprofit within four months. The ball has been rolling ever since.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a coordinator and a strategic organizer. I find passion in starting a project on a blank sheet of paper and watching it grow. I have been working on my individual nonprofit ideas and work since 2012 starting with the #423Booming collaboration playlist featuring the hottest in our city, Chattanooga, TN. The project grew and so did the artist community. Recognizing a need, we developed a team to begin recognizing April 23rd in Chattanooga as 423 Day. Every year we would drop a mixtape and host a party featuring the artist on the tape. As years grew, so did we. In 2021, we decided to create the day into a cultural festival. Our idea was to showcase the hidden gems in our community and provide a platform to showcase their talents. In return, we birthed the 1st Music, Fashion, and Arts Festival. This uniquely designed festival featured four headlining artists, four fashion designers, and four visual artists. Each headliner had opening acts and a runway showcase. In total, last year we featured over 30 creatives at our event and for the 1st time, we successfully pulled off our first $5K event. It was magical! We had over 200 young black creatives in one space with no security. The vibes were unmatched.
The energy and success of this event is what birthed the idea to develop the organization into a non-profit. Shortly after the event, we received a proclaimed declaration that now in The City of Chattanooga, April 23rd is officially known as 423 Day. Fast forward eight months later, here we are growing our team, growing our mission, and inspiring our local community to keep creating.
We are now planning our 2nd Annual MFA Festival on April 23, 2022. We are always looking to expand and grow new networks and partnerships. The MFA project is all about collaboration and collective responsibility. We will be taking this project on tour. We would like to partner with other cities and bring out their creative community in one space. We are super excited about growth and the direction our nonprofit is going.
What are your plans for the future?
The future is promising! MFA Foundation is my passion and The Woodwork Agency is my purpose. It is exciting to be in a space that just feels right. I am beyond thankful for growth both personally and professionally. The MFA team will be leading in their prospective fields in the next few years while also giving back to other creatives.
We are excited to announce our next project titled The MetaNooga where we will be selling and minting our first NFTs and tokens to donate back to our community. Look forward to the virtual music, tickets, fashion designs and digital art to be sold on a blockchain near you.
Contact Info:
- Email: mfafest@gmail.com
- Website: www.mfafest.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mfafest/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MFAFest
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/mfafest
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxR-MkgFfjcvly65xzgbjvg
Image Credits
Ken Arnold Photography (Group Shots) Reginald Clack at No89 Photography (headshots)
