August 23rd 2023.
Trenessa Williams is the owner of Kizzy's Books & More, an independent bookstore based in Orange County, Florida. She was inspired to open the store in 2018 after one of her favorite local bookstores closed down. Before that, she had wanted to be a fashion buyer for luxury boutiques in New York City.
However, in 2008, something changed her trajectory. "I got up that Saturday morning, went to the bookstore, only to find out that it wasn't open," Williams said. "I thought, 'OK, we need a bookstore here.'" She then pursued her MBA in marketing and earned her Doctorate of Business Administration in 2014. After that, she worked as a school liaison for Orange County Public Schools and an instructor for Bethune-Cookman University.
Using her status as a business owner, Williams has been able to give back to her community. Recently, she collected over 100 books to donate to children through various organizations, in response to a recent Florida ban on books written by African American writers. She also took part in the Protect Black History initiative, sponsored by the National Black Cultural Information Trust, Inc. This program provided Black history resources and materials to local communities in need, including free online seminars, panel discussions, and children's storytimes.
Williams wants to continue growing and learning. "When I talk to my students, I always tell them that it's OK to have different jobs and different aspirations," she said. "You'll get to wherever it is that you want to get to."
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