Our Story

FOUNDER & COMMUNITY LEADER

Bridget Pettis is a former WNBA player and coach whose legacy continues to grow far beyond the basketball court. Having played and coached for teams including the Phoenix Mercury and Chicago Sky, Bridget built a career defined by resilience, leadership, and excellence at the highest level of the game, competing and inspiring across the world.

In 2020, Bridget made a life changing decision to step away from the WNBA community to focus on her personal growth and spiritual journey. During this time, she turned inward to seek clarity in God’s purpose for her life. That season of reflection led her to establish her first farm, laying the foundation for what would become two thriving farm locations dedicated to healing, sustainability, and community impact. Through this work, Bridget has also been serving the homeless community for over a decade, providing fresh organic food, resources, and consistent hands on support.

Out of that same purpose driven vision, Bridget expanded her impact into entrepreneurship and storytelling. In 2025, she launched Authentic Path Clothing, a brand rooted in identity, purpose, and empowerment. She also founded Double Crossover Magazine, a platform dedicated to highlighting women in sports on and off the court celebrating their journeys, voices, and accomplishments. As an author, Bridget is currently creating children’s books and working on her own autobiography, continuing her mission to inspire, educate, and uplift future generations.

Bridget is also the Founder of the Bridget Pettis Foundation and the Project Roots AZ, where she continues to serve communities through education, farming, mentorship, and outreach. She collaborates annually with the Steve Young Foundation, further extending her commitment to service and impact.

Her achievements and contributions have been widely recognized, including the Hall of Fame Award, the 2022 Turn For Peace Award, the 2023 Golden Standard Award, the 2023 Game Changer Award, and the 2024 Ring of Honor (Re-Imagined). In May 2024, her Phoenix Mercury jersey was retired and raised at Footprint Center, marking a historic moment as one of the first women’s jerseys honored alongside legends such as Cheryl Miller, Charles Barkley, and Amar’e Stoudemire.

Today, Bridget continues to shine as a leader, entrepreneur, farmer, and changemaker. Her life reflects a powerful message: when you align purpose with faith and service, impact becomes limitless. Bridget Pettis is not only a pioneer in sports but a living example of transformation, purpose, and legacy in action.

BOARD MEMBER & PRESIDENT

Lashaunda Young-Howell is a transformational leader with over 25 years of experience in higher education, student advocacy, and community empowerment. Holding a Bachelor’s degree in Human Services and a Master’s in Human Service Counseling with a cognate in Crisis/Trauma Response, LaShaunda has devoted her life to guiding and empowering others. She previously served as Vice President of Felicity Foundation Inc., based in Illinois and Indiana, for eight years, leading initiatives that supported students and communities in need. Her dedication extends beyond academia, with over a decade of community outreach serving the homeless, youth, elderly, and disadvantaged populations. She has volunteered with the Bridget Pettis Foundation in Phoenix, AZ for four years, supporting events, camps, and hands on work at the BPF foundation and farm.

LaShaunda’s journey began on the basketball court, where discipline and determination earned her a scholarship and shaped the leader she is today. That same drive now fuels her mentoring, and volunteer work, helping young athletes and students excel both on and off the court. LaShaunda has served at prestigious institutions including the University of Illinois at Chicago, City Colleges of Chicago, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and National University, where she currently helps students navigate academic and financial pathways as an Academic Finance Advisor.

As an entrepreneur, LaShaunda excels as a holistic healer and devoted community advocate. Leading AMI ARIA LUX Candles, practicing as a certified Reiki practitioner, and co-owning a home improvement business with her husband, she exemplifies purpose driven living, wellness, and empowerment. Rooted in faith, compassion, and resilience, she is dedicated to uplifting others and inspiring the next generation to thrive..

Whether mentoring, teaching, or healing, LaShaunda leads with heart, vision, and unwavering purpose, transforming lives, building futures, and inspiring all who cross her path. Her life’s work is dedicated to empowering others to rise beyond limitations.

BOARD MEMBER & VICE PRESIDENT

Fenise Yancy is a seasoned revenue and operations professional and nonprofit leader with more than 25 years of experience supporting organizational performance, governance, and strategic initiatives across complex, highly regulated environments.

Fenise brings deep expertise in revenue analytics, compliance oversight, audit support, operational risk management, and performance improvement, having worked extensively with cross-functional leadership teams to strengthen data integrity, improve financial outcomes, and support informed decision-making.

She currently serves as Western Regional Director and Scholarship Committee Chair for Mothers of Professional Basketball Players, Inc. (MPBP), where she provides regional leadership and oversees the strategic direction, governance, and administration of the organization’s scholarship programs. In her role as Scholarship Committee Chair, Fenise leads scholarship design, funding oversight, application review processes, and award governance to ensure equity, transparency, and long-term impact for student recipients.

Fenise holds a Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Administration and is certified in Six Sigma Lean and Change Management, bringing a structured, data-informed approach to governance, compliance, and organizational stewardship. She is recognized for her integrity, analytical discipline, and commitment to mission-driven leadership.

Outside of her professional and nonprofit work, Fenise is a proud mother of two. Her son, Dalen is a professional basketball player for the Chicago Bulls, and her daughter Olivia is a creative performer who loves musical theater and acting, plays the piano, and serves as a student ambassador at her school. Fenise’s dedication to nurturing both athletic and artistic excellence in her children reflects her broader commitment to youth empowerment, education, and opportunity.scription goes here

BOARD MEMBER & TREASURER

Leslee Hamadeh, FNP-C is a Board Member and Treasurer of the Bridget Pettis Foundation. She is a nurse practitioner with a deep commitment to serving underserved and vulnerable populations. In addition to her role with the Foundation, Leslee serves as the Associate Medical Director for the Phoenix West Valley Street Medicine Team with Circle the City, where she helps lead and deliver comprehensive medical care to individuals experiencing homelessness directly on the streets.

Through this work, Leslee supports unsheltered individuals by bringing medical care, dignity, and continuity of services to those who face significant barriers to accessing traditional healthcare. Her approach emphasizes trust, compassion, and meeting people where they are—both clinically and humanly.

Leslee is deeply passionate about mission-driven service, community outreach, and addressing health disparities through hands-on, relationship-centered care. Outside of her professional and nonprofit roles, she enjoys mission work, travel, kayaking, and spending time in nature, which continually renews her sense of purpose and commitment to service.

BOARD MEMBER

Mechelle Tucker is a serial entrepreneur, co-author, and impact-driven leader who champions win-win-win outcomes—for businesses, non profits, brands and celebrities. As the founder of the Mechelle Cares Foundation and CEO of 1st Class Consultant, 1st Class Candles, 1st Class Notary, and 1st Class Boutique, she builds strategic, service-first ventures that scale with integrity and purpose. Having worked with a host of celebrities, athletes, entrepreneurs, politicians, and philanthropists, Mechelle leverages networking with high-level partnerships to elevate brands and amplify philanthropic impact. A sought-after mentor and thought leader, she empowers others to turn bold ideas into sustainable success while creating measurable value for all stakeholders.

BOARD MEMBER & LEGAL ADVISOR

Amy Owen is a distinguished attorney, trusted legal advisor, and passionate advocate for justice, serving as a Board Member and Legal Advisor with unwavering dedication. As the founder of Owen Law Firm, PLLC, and widely known as the “Pineapple Lawyer,” Amy has built a reputation for combining sharp legal expertise with a vibrant, compassionate approach to serving others.

A renowned personal injury and civil rights attorney, Amy has spent her career protecting the rights of individuals and families during some of the most challenging moments of their lives. Her work spans a wide range of cases, from motor vehicle accidents to complex, high-impact civil rights matters, where her commitment to fairness and accountability consistently drives meaningful outcomes.

Amy’s expertise also extends to representing professional athletes, celebrities, and high-profile individuals, offering not only legal counsel but discretion, integrity, and trusted advocacy. She understands the unique pressures her clients face and approaches each case with both strategic precision and genuine care.

Beyond the courtroom, Amy is a firm believer in using her platform to uplift and empower. Her leadership reflects a deep commitment to justice, community impact, and ensuring that every voice, no matter how small, has the opportunity to be heard and protected.

Amy Owen stands as a powerful example of what it means to lead with both strength and heart, turning legal expertise into a force for protection, empowerment, and lasting change.

For more information, visit www.amyowenlaw.com (https://www.amyowenlaw.com).

COMMUNITY LEADER

Dr. LaTanya Edenburgs, MA, M.Ed., serves as the Community Director of Outreach, bringing a deeply rooted commitment to connection, engagement, and community impact. As an international keynote speaker, Architect of Mental Clarity, and Decision Strategist for life and leadership, she is dedicated to creating meaningful relationships that strengthen the communities she serves.

She is the founder of Illuminate Your Journey™ and the creator of The MOVE Method™, a framework that helps individuals and organizations move from awareness into aligned action for long term clarity and growth. With more than 25 years of experience as an educator, leadership coach, former professional athlete, and entrepreneur, Dr. Edenburgs brings a powerful combination of lived experience, emotional intelligence, and leadership into every space she enters.

As a #1 international best selling author, she is known for helping individuals and leaders navigate pressure, strengthen decision making, and reconnect with who they are becoming. In her role, she focuses on building partnerships, expanding outreach, and creating opportunities that support both individual growth and collective impact within the community.

Dr. Edenburgs is passionate about fostering spaces where individuals feel seen, supported, and empowered to move forward with clarity, purpose, and peace. She is honored to serve in a role that allows her to deepen community relationships and support the foundation’s mission of advancing mental health and wellness.

COMMUNITY LEADER

Danielle Burks is a Global Forgiveness Ambassador, Healer, professional hairstylist, and devoted community advocate whose life’s work is rooted in healing, restoration, and purpose. With over two decades of service, she has poured into the lives of others using both her hands and her heart to uplift, restore, and empower.

Behind the chair, Danielle offers more than beauty she creates a safe haven. A space where stories are shared, wounds are acknowledged, and healing quietly begins. Beyond her profession, she has dedicated her life to supporting survivors of domestic violence, standing as a pillar of strength, compassion, and unwavering support for those finding their way back to themselves.

Danielle’s mission is deeply personal and profoundly impactful: to restore families and transform lives one heart at a time. She believes that forgiveness is not just an act, but a pathway a bridge to freedom, healing, and generational change. Through her voice, her service, and her presence, she inspires others to release pain, reclaim their power, and step into a renewed sense of purpose.

Her work is not about perfection, it’s about transformation. It’s about meeting people where they are and walking with them toward where they are meant to be. Danielle embodies grace in action, proving that when love leads and forgiveness is embraced, healing becomes possible.

She is more than an advocate she is a light, a guide, and a living example of what it means to turn pain into purpose and service into legacy.

COMMUNITY LEADER

Unity Gratitude, is a transformational community leader and the Founder of The Art of Forgiveness LLC—a movement rooted in healing, restoration, and the power of returning to love. She is a mother, a healer, and a living testimony to what true forgiveness can unlock within the human spirit.

Grounded in both earth and spirit, Unity is a farmer and “plant mama,” nurturing not only the land but also the hearts of women who are ready to rediscover their identity, purpose, and truth. Her work is deeply intentional creating sacred spaces where love leads, stories are honored, and pain is not hidden but transformed into purpose.

Through women’s circles, community healing experiences, and creative expression, Unity gently guides others back to themselves back to God, back to truth, and back to wholeness. Her circles are not just gatherings, but awakenings spaces where women are invited to remember who they truly are.

As a community bridger, Unity connects people to resources, to each other, and to deeper understanding. Through her creation of upcycled instruments, she turns what was once discarded into tools for healing, symbolizing the beauty of transformation and renewal. She is also a devoted researcher of life, spirit, and ancestral wisdom, honoring the lessons passed down through generations while walking boldly in her own lived truth.

Unity does not claim titles lightly. She is not self-proclaimed she is shaped, refined, and licensed through life experience. Having lived through deep breaking, she now walks in rebuilding, offering others a path illuminated by faith, surrender, and authenticity.

Everything she creates and shares is rooted in love not perfection, but real transformation. Her work is heart work. It is soul work. It is legacy work.

Unity, stands as a reminder that forgiveness is not weakness it is inheritance. And through it, we reclaim our power, our peace, and our purpose.