Kelly R. Little is a author, poet, visionary, action-oriented leader, podcaster, transformational coach, motivational speaker, and strategist who partners with people and professionals to elevate, community and organizational growth. Selflessly serving is more than a phrase to this retired and highly decorated combat veteran, who has served this country honorably for over twenty-four years. Additionally, he has retired as a Customer Relations Manager for Mecklenburg County Government. Observing inequity, exploitation and disenfranchisement has inspired him to dedicate his life to cultivating solutions for uplifting black families with a specific emphasis on black and brown boys and men.  One of the ways that allows him to serve community was partnering with Global Partners for Fathers and Families, Equus Workforce Solutions, and Mecklenburg County Child Support Services in an Empowering Fathers Program that assist’s fathers with obtaining career employment integrated with emotional and parenting support that elevates their positioning in the family unit and community. He has been inspired by the impact of this dynamic opportunity to co-create with the fathers. He has created a Rites of Passage program that develops and cultivates young people’s growth through emotional wellness, social development, mental mastery, and exposure to social capital assets that allow them to elevate comprehensively. One of his most rewarding accomplishments has been working with technology genius Paul Day, and My Brother Keepers, Executive Director Don Thomas Jr. to create a springboard for young people to catapult in the stratosphere of success with the integrated support systems established by moving families through Healing Circles that allow them to release current and previous traumas.

His work has helped shift the paradigm of health and human services program delivery in North Carolina and influence Child Support programs across the country in embracing fatherhood and the trauma that father absence causes. His holistic approach has galvanized support and credibility within a previously skeptical community.

He is a Certified Professional Mindfulness and Meditation Teacher, Leadership, Life and Executive Certified Professional Coach, an Energy Leadership Index-Master Practitioner, credentialed through the Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching. He is a 2015 graduate of NCSEA U, which is a leadership program for emerging leaders in Child Support. Kelly is a 2016 graduate of the prestigious Practitioner Leadership Institute Fellowship offered by the Center for Urban Families located in Baltimore, MD. He was the 2018 Child Support employee of the year, A Proud 2019 Leadership Charlotte Class 41 Alumnus. Kelly is a Certified 24/7 Dad Fatherhood Facilitator, Workforce Development Soft Skills trainer (Connections to Success), and (National Fatherhood Initiative) Father Engagement Practitioner. Mr. Little received his undergraduate degree from the UNC-Charlotte, and the following dual degrees in graduate school; M.B.A. and a Masters of Science and Leadership from Pfeiffer University where he was admitted to the National Scholars Honor Society.

Michael Alan Jackson is a servant leader, holistic health practitioner, speaker, facilitator, outreach educator and community health navigator. Throughout his career, he has served in key management and leadership roles. In 2011 , he retired early from his management position with Regions Bank, capping a career that included over twenty years in consumer finance, business banking and community lending. He received awards from Regions Bank making the Chairman’s Club list and earning the Pyramid of Excellence award. As a member of the Go Global ministry team at the Life Church of Memphis, Michael volunteered in missions, serving in Uganda, East Africa in support of the Watoto Children’s Ministry which provided homes, families and holistic care to orphaned and vulnerable children. His urge to serve within his own community grew even stronger from his Ugandan experience. Stirred by a growing quest for knowledge, his personal health concerns, as well as those of his family and friends, he enrolled in the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. He went on to graduate in 2013, becoming a certified integrative health coach and he quickly began working in his new career, serving in hospitals, clinics, schools and churches. As a trusted community health advocate, Michael continued on his new career with leadership roles in the non-profit sector, serving on initiatives in community outreach, health advocacy, fatherhood, financial literacy and emotional wellness.

Michael built strong partnerships within the city of Memphis and later became certified as a community health worker. At Families Matter of Memphis, he earned a Nurturing Parenting and Fatherhood certifications while serving as a lead facilitator for the Dynamic Dads Fatherhood Program, Principles of Manhood and the Child Support Noncustodial Parent Employment Demonstration (CSPED). These programs helped to strengthen and educate fathers and young men in the community, while also giving them access to a trusted advisor.

Michael served on the board of directors for the Hattiloo Theater of Memphis. He also served on the board of directors for The Sickle Cell Foundation of Tennessee for six years, prior to leading the restructuring of the organization in 2016, after the sudden death of its founder, Dr. Trevor K. Thompson. He also served for two years as SCFT’s collaborative care team representative and patient representative, partnering with St. Jude Research Hospital, Methodist and Regional One Hospital along with Vanderbilt-Meharry Center of Excellence in Sickle Cell Disease, helping to provide care and support to those living with sickle cell disease throughout the state of Tennessee.

Being mission-minded, Michael recognized the need for holistic community outreach, specifically in the heavily populated minority communities. After eighteen years serving within the state of Tennessee, Michael and his family relocated to Charlotte, NC. After raising two children and sending them off to college, he and his wife started the next chapter in their life. They stepped out on faith and made a sacrificial two year commitment to work together in ministry. They joined Apartment life as outreach coordinators. ApartmentLife is a faith-based non-profit that believes every individual is created for community and that we are called to love our neighbors as ourselves. Michael and his wife, Karla served a community of over 700 diverse families in the Charlotte area from Jan. 2019 until Jan. 2021.

In 2020, in the midst of covid-19, Michael completed his degree, graduating from Quantum University with a Bachelor in Holistic Health Science. His primary goal is to serve the community of Charlotte, by helping to establish new programs, while also helping to support existing programs that produce positive and effective results in the improvement of the daily lives of individuals and families. In addition, Michael works to help build strong and diverse collaborations of individuals in all sectors of business who come together for a common purpose, ensuring a thoughtful and compassionate effort is placed on improving the quality of life for families. This important goal moves us towards our mission of revitalizing and renewing communities, from within the family, which is vital to the long term success of the Queen City of Charlotte and the surrounding areas.

To meet the ever-changing needs of those we serve, we customize innovative trainings, programs, initiatives, collaborations and partnerships that address the complex issues around poverty. We provide professional attire through our Dress for Success initiative. We also give donated cars to deserving families through our transportation program, our programs all have the same goal: economic independence for all.

The multi-faceted approach we utilize helps people see the future, and delivers a strong, smart solution to the complex issues around poverty—and we have the results to prove it.

Uniquely designed in support of black and brown boys, men and families. 

The UI4SF provides customized training and workshop sessions for Small & Medium-Sized Businesses, as well as Corporate Clients. Workshops will focus on various aspects of Human Resources & Business Process Improvement, Employee Engagement, Training & Development, Change Management, Time Management, Team-Building, Conflict Resolution, Diversity, New Manager Training, Customer Service Training, Harassment & Discrimination Investigator Training, Policy Development & Integration, Succession Planning, Merger Issues & Cultural Change, Employee Relations, and much more