Thirty-one-year-old LaDonica Whitfield is the founder and CEO of Empowered Essence, a minority women empowerment program and community. The company provides entrepreneurs with a community of like-minded women, networking events, retreats and educational resources, that can be used to scale their business. However, her main focus is to teach her mentees, how to continue to open their minds to uncomfortable but much needed tools in order to create generational wealth.

LaDonica was born and raised in Clearwater, Florida. She became pregnant two months before high school graduation. Leaving 2 scholarships, FAMU acceptance and military offers behind, she went to a community college while pregnant. Determined not to be a statistical "teen mom" she also went to technical school and started trying different side-hustles to earn more income. From male reviews to MLM, she kept pushing until she decided to enroll in school to become a licensed facial specialist. In school full time and working overnights full-time at a homeless shelter, LaDonica only had 4hrs a day to sleep for 5 months straight. Already under stress and depression, 2 months before completing school, LaDonica's daughter thought she didn't love her anymore because her mother was choosing to sleep instead of spending time with her. If it wasn't for an older black woman that was a resident at the shelter, giving LaDonica encouraging words, she would of gave up!

As a result, Empowered Essence was birth! Aiming to helped minority women have a safe place to learn, build, connect and elevate as a community.

The company has given start-up steps, resources and a sistahood of like-minded individuals, which went into helping entrepreneurs elevate their businesses. Empowered Essence provides its clients with the resources needed to reach success and feel empowered.