Shakima Brown Recognized for Strengthening Community Leadership Through Business and Advocacy

By Kendra Hall

PHILADELPHIA — Community leadership continues to take shape through small business ownership, caregiving, and lived experience. Individuals balancing entrepreneurship, family responsibility, and service are influencing how support networks function at the local level.

Shakima Brown, founder of Kekethefoodie, is among those leaders. Her work has developed over nearly a decade through consistency, faith, and a commitment to serving others during both stable and uncertain seasons.

Across the country, community driven leadership continues gaining visibility as traditional support systems face strain. Small business owners, caregivers, and local advocates increasingly serve as stabilizing forces within neighborhoods, offering resources, connection, and informal guidance where institutional systems often move slowly.

Leaders emerging from lived experience often build trust quickly. Their proximity to everyday challenges allows them to respond in ways that feel immediate, practical, and human. This kind of leadership grows through presence rather than position.Brown will be honored on March 7, 2026 at the Women’s Empowerment and Awards Brunch Gala in Philadelphia. The gathering recognizes leaders across business, advocacy, and community service whose work strengthens families and expands access to support.

Kekethefoodie began as a personal pursuit rooted in passion for food and connection. The platform grew through persistence, financial risk, and the decision to continue building during difficult moments. Over time, it evolved into a space where food, storytelling, and leadership intersect.

Kekethefoodie developed during a period when digital platforms allowed independent entrepreneurs to reach audiences directly. Brown used those tools to share experiences, document her journey, and build relationships grounded in authenticity. The platform expanded through word of mouth, community engagement, and consistent storytelling.

Small business ownership required long hours, financial discipline, and adaptability. Brown navigated shifting responsibilities while continuing to grow her platform, learning to balance creativity with operational structure.

Today, Brown is a small business owner, chaplain, foster parent, and community advocate. Her work reflects the realities many families navigate each day, balancing caregiving, employment, and personal healing while supporting others.

As a domestic violence survivor, Brown speaks from lived experience about recovery, rebuilding stability, and reclaiming direction. Her perspective informs how she supports individuals navigating crisis, transition, and uncertainty.

Recovery required rebuilding stability across multiple areas of life. Brown’s experiences shaped her understanding of how trauma affects confidence, decision making, and relationships. That insight informs how she engages with others navigating similar transitions.

Her willingness to speak openly created space for others to do the same. Conversations often move beyond survival toward rebuilding identity, setting boundaries, and reclaiming purpose.

Her leadership centers on practical guidance shaped by real life. Conversations often address entrepreneurship, emotional resilience, family responsibility, and maintaining purpose through changing circumstances.

Community members describe her presence as grounded and accessible. Through honest storytelling and direct conversation, Brown creates environments where people feel supported and understood.

Food remains a central part of her work. Meals and shared spaces open the door for mentorship, connection, and dialogue. These environments allow people to gather without pressure while strengthening relationships and support systems.

Her role as a chaplain further shapes her outreach. Spiritual care, emotional support, and service intersect in the way she engages families and individuals facing loss, instability, and personal transition.

Faith based leadership plays a significant role in many communities where access to mental health services remains limited. Chaplains and spiritual care providers often serve as early points of contact for individuals experiencing grief, crisis, or emotional distress.

Brown’s approach blends spiritual grounding with practical support. Guidance focuses on presence, listening, and helping individuals reconnect with stability during difficult periods.

Foster parenting adds another dimension to her leadership. Brown’s home has provided structure and care for children navigating uncertainty. That experience informs her advocacy for family stability and community responsibility.

Foster care environments require patience, structure, and emotional steadiness. Brown’s experience supporting children through transition reinforced her belief that stability within homes shapes long term outcomes.

Family based care, mentorship, and community involvement create protective environments that support both children and caregivers. These experiences continue informing her advocacy and outreach.

Leaders across small business and community service continue emphasizing the importance of representation and relatability. Individuals who share lived experience often help bridge the gap between formal systems and everyday realities.

Brown’s work reflects that connection. Her platform highlights how entrepreneurship, caregiving, faith, and personal recovery can exist together as part of a larger support network.

She frequently speaks about balance, responsibility, and the emotional work required to sustain both family and business roles. Her guidance focuses on steady growth, clear priorities, and maintaining direction through shifting seasons.

The Women’s Empowerment and Awards Brunch Gala will bring together leaders across wellness, entrepreneurship, education, and advocacy while supporting youth leadership and emotional wellness initiatives through Jewelz Foundation Incorporated.

Brown’s recognition reflects the growing visibility of community leaders whose work develops through service, resilience, and long term commitment to others.

Community leaders like Brown, working outside traditional institutional roles continue reshaping how support systems operate. Entrepreneurship, caregiving, and advocacy now intersect more visibly, creating new pathways for influence and impact.

The recognition of leaders grounded in lived experience reflects a broader shift toward valuing practical wisdom, emotional intelligence, and service based leadership.

Through Kekethefoodie and her broader outreach, Brown continues building spaces where people connect, share resources, and support one another through real life challenges.

Brown continues expanding her work through storytelling, community engagement, and relationship building. Her focus remains on strengthening connections between business, family life, and service.

Future initiatives include mentorship conversations, community gatherings, and collaborative spaces where individuals can exchange ideas, resources, and support.

Her message centers on forward movement, care for others, and the belief that leadership grows through consistency, service, and the willingness to keep showing up.