Ty-Licia Hooker

Ty-Licia Hooker is the Executive Director and Co-Founder of Student Success and Leadership Academy, a program that empowers underserved youth to lead the change in their own communities. Growing up in-between Oakland and Stockton, CA, Ty-Licia was no stranger to seeing injustice firsthand and used these experiences to fuel her passion and empathy for the underdog.

Her mother and grandmother taught her independence, faith, the value of community, and that love is an action. Under their guidance, Ty-Licia became the first person in her family to both attend and graduate college. As a product of the system that labeled her “at-risk" Ty-Licia has made it her mission to uplift those that society has given the label.

From 2012, Ty-Licia has formally taught in kindergarten to high school classrooms, while focusing on urban communities within Washington DC, Atlanta, Oakland, and Stockton. Her classroom expertise has since been utilized in school design teams such as San Joaquin’s One, alternative school program, Oakland’s Design School X, as well as San Francisco’s New School. Ty-Licia’s work has been recognized both locally and nationally.

Most notably, her commitment to her community was highlighted at BET’s, BLACK GIRLS ROCK! - an awards show that honors the work of exceptional Black women in various fields ). She has also been recognized by Procter and Gamble’s My Black is Beautiful (MBIB) for her vision for the future. She is a contributing writer for “Lean In For Graduates”, a best-selling practical guide to beginning a successful career by Sheryl Sandberg. Since then, she has traveled throughout the nation as a motivational speaker touching on topics such as; women empowerment, community change, education, and more. After the tragic death of her late teenage brother, Da’Quan Blackwell, Ty-Licia founded the QuanWorld Collective in order to advocate for students rights. Ty-Licia brings a pedagogical approach to education while serving the underserved through impactful mentorship. Presently, Ty-Licia sits on the programming committee for Oakland Unified School District African American Female Excellence s while continuing her learning as Surge Institute fellow and fellow at Leadership for Educational Equity. She also serves as the Executive Director for Boost! West Oakland.

Ty-Licia holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Education Policy and is currently working on an from Loyola Marymount University. An Oakland resident, she frequently returns to her other community of Stockton. In her personal life, she can be found modeling, trying new food, sharing her thoughts or traveling on social media.