Caroline “Inspires” Bennett
Head of Student Empowerment
Caroline “Inspires” Bennett is SSA’s Head of Student Empowerment and will be responsible for inspiring and uplifting students across the country as a speaker to take ownership of their futures while also engaging with educators and school leaders. She will also lead, recruit, and coach SSA’s first Speaker Team alongside EJ! Prior to joining SSA Caroline has unapologetically transformed the spaces of non-profit organizations, correctional institutions, news stations, TEDx stages, primary and secondary schools, higher education institutions, and corporations across the nation. As a 2x TEDx Speaker with more than 10 years of experience in youth and community outreach, CarolineINSPIRES has captured and transformed the lives of over 22,000 youth across more than 15 states using her gift of gab and artistic genius to Captivate, Create, and Connect with all who she comes in contact with. As her face was featured on shirts for the international retail corporation, Abercrombie & Fitch, For Justice For Joy Mural Tee, CarolineINSPIRES is a highly regarded multifaceted cross cultural influencer, entrepreneur, philanthropist, artist, speaker, author, and educator. A native of North Tulsa, Oklahoma, Caroline, often tells people, “my environment was not an excuse to quit but rather it was a reason to keep going!” A two-time loan and debt-free first generation college and master’s degree school graduate having received a Bachelor’s degree in Human Relations from the University of Oklahoma, and a Master’s degree in Women’s, Gender, & Sexuality studies from The Ohio State University, she has been intentional about her work inside and outside of academic spaces. Her work is rooted in the community, driven by love, and sustained by faith, creativity, and purpose. CarolineINSPIRES prides herself in advocating for those who come from communities that mirror the one she grew up in. She has inspired and served over 5,000+ youth and more than 1k+ families. Her imprint of inspiration, through her educational and community endeavors, has procured over $32,000 of donations and other essential needs for youth and their families such as food, utilities, furniture, and health services. In her first curated documentary, This Girl! That Smile. Her Spirit, and in her forthcoming books, she endeavors to document the journeys of youth while empowering them to re-write their narrative. Through her artistic gifts, CarolineINSPIRES has left her mark sharing the stage with award winning artists such as Eric Roberson, The Hamiltones, Zacardi Cortez, Big Daddy Kane, Da Brat, Musiq Soulchild, and Sa-Roc. Continuing to use her gifts in exponential ways, she has also achieved the titles of Miss Black OK US Ambassador 2015, Miss Black US Ambassador 1st Runner-Up 2015, and Miss Black Ohio 2019 (resigned). In addition to those achievements, CarolineINSPIRES has also been awarded the 2019 Future History Makers Award and the 2020 Next Up Columbus Award presented by CityPulse Columbus. Currently, she resides in Columbus, Ohio, where you can find her imprint throughout the city and beyond. Further embodied in her #BE #YOUR#MARK Collection, an apparel line that combines her invigorating inspiration and colorful legacy.
