By Regina Yoong
Editor’s Note: The College of Arts & Sciences Notable Alumni Awards honor alumni for broad career accomplishments, commitment to community service, and valuable contributions to Ohio University and the College of Arts & Sciences.
Lekeisha Grant ’07 Specialized Studies
Lekeisha Grant is an entrepreneur. She started her first business in 2012, Ambition Magazine. Transformers Fitness and Ambitious and Annoyed would follow.
At Ambition Magazine, she collaborated with two other Ohio University alumni, Ashley Ferguson and Erial Ramsey. The magazine features urban, diverse, professional, and ambitious women to showcase their strength, struggles, and achievements.
“Starting a publication is a large undertaking, especially during a time when publications as a whole are struggling to survive. Being able to celebrate 8 years soon in March 2020 is a blessing,” she says.
LeKeisha Grant
Grant’s Business Ventures
Besides being the founder and editor-in-chief of Ambition Magazine, Grant is also the co-owner and instructor for Transformers Fitness in Dayton, Ohio, where she manages all business operations, evaluates the programs’ effectiveness, and measures the impact of services provided.
Grant’s talents and abilities also extends to Grant being the founder and strategy consultant for Ambitious and Annoyed, where she works with business owners on goal setting workshops for vision and implementation. In this role, Grant meets with clients on a regular basis to effectively implement her clients’ business goals.
Moreover, she is also the business adviser for Miami Valley Small Business Development Center, where she counsels and assists business owners and aspiring business owners to analyze processes to develop effective business models for success.
LeKeisha Grant in her Ambition Magazine T-shirt
OHIO Memories
Grant explains how much she misses OHIO campus and talks about visiting the campus often.
“OU is home, it brings comfort and inspiration. Ohio University breeds family, I see and meet people randomly all the time and we have this connection of the bricks of Ohio University,” Grant explains.
At OHIO, she said she “learned responsibility and true accountability.”
Grant says that OHIO molded her to understand professionalism that helped her succeed in her career.
“From an educational perspective, I met and engaged with some of the most dynamic professors and students while there. My African American Studies professors stand out the most. There was Gray, Weston and (Robin) Muhammad, they all pushed me to be more. Challenged me to move beyond the surface level information and saw something in me that at the time I didn’t necessarily see.”
Empowering Black Women
Grant is passionate about the community as she volunteers in a variety of community activities. She is currently the board member for the Welcome Home Dayton and Ohio Valley Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Moreover, Grant is also involved in “SoLoved’s, Sock It To Me, Annual Sock Drive” and “Dreamer’s Gala, Leadership.”
“Welcome Home Dayton, which is here to create comfortable spaces for those transitioning from homelessness, just has such a great mission. I’m sure that transition is difficult and walking into a furnished apartment and having one less thing to worry about is just a great way to give. I was diagnosed with MS in 2012, and after my diagnosis I knew that I wanted to assist those who were living with MS in some way and being able to fund-raise and bring awareness as a board member has been a great experience,” She explains.
“For SoLoved and Black Girl Leadership, I get the opportunity to give directly and learn. SoLoved provides so many resources to our community and the annual Sock Drive is just a great reminder of the things we take for granted but are so important. Black Girl Leadership allows me to help influence the next class of leaders, I want these young women to see women working together to help one other grow and succeed,” she added.
Grant in her Ambition Magazine T-shirt
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