About Our Board

Founder/Executive Director, Shanika Flemming

I have proudly called Columbia, SC my home since the age of 3 years old. I am a proud United States Air Force Veteran who served during Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom after 9/11. My military experience strengthened my commitment to service, resilience, and the importance of community support and human connection.

As a disabled Veteran who lives with PTSD, I recognized the value and importance of staying connected to people. My passion has grown to bring people together, creating meaningful experiences and fostering real connections. I am turning that passion into a purposeful offering designed to combat the growing challenges of adult isolation, loneliness, and depression.

Vice Chair, Dr. Vivian Simons-Profit

Dr. Vivian Simons-Profit is a native of Columbia, South Carolina. She is a devoted wife, mother, entrepreneur, nonprofit advocate, and lifelong learner. Dr. Simons-Profit possesses an extensive educational background in Human Resources and Organizational Management, holding both a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in Organizational Management, with a concentration in Human Resources. She earned her Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Charleston Southern University in May 2022 and was honored as the keynote speaker for the doctoral commencement ceremony, a distinction traditionally reserved for the university president.
She is also a self-published author whose work centers on themes of self-love, faith, personal growth, achieving balance as a young professional, and advocating for mental health awareness. Her commitment to service extends into nonprofit and community engagement, including her contributions to a local organization serving older adults in the LowCountry area, where she supported programming, outreach, employee engagement, communications, and initiatives focused on serving the elderly. She has also contributed to youth leadership and entrepreneurship development through her involvement with a youth-focused leadership and business development program in Columbia, SC.

Community Engagement Director, Ty Williams

With 22 years of entrepreneurial experience, Ty Will is a dynamic Entrepreneurial Leader committed to purpose-driven impact and community transformation. Beginning his journey as Worship Leader for a number of church in Columbia, SC for 16yrs, Ty was able to develop relationship with community leaders from a common spiritual interest. All while pursuing a Professional Barber Career, which started in 2004, and really started to talk hold in 2009 he built more than a career—he cultivated trust, discipline, and a deep connection to people. Serving on The Board for Columbia Fashion Week, Dapper & Disinguesd Gents with Deon Generette and an Executive Assistant to his current Pastor, Rev. Dr. George A. Ashford, Jr., Ty understand that if you’re not in the community, your absent overall.
Expanding his creative reach, Ty stepped into the world of media in 2012 as a Media Specialist, using storytelling and visual communication to elevate brands, voices, and messages that matter. By 2015, his mission evolved into community organization entitled Established Gent, where he has since focused on empowering Black men through holistic living—emphasizing personal development, mental health, self-care, and intentional lifestyle growth: known as a Hub For Manhood.
Today, Ty stands at the intersection of entrepreneurship, creativity, and leadership, known for inspiring others to build with purpose, lead with integrity, and live fully.