Dr. Faith Wilkerson

Dr. Wilkerson arrived in Richmond, Virginia in 2000 to attend Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). She holds a Bachelors in Mass Communications, Masters in Higher Education, as well as, a Doctorate in Educational Leadership. She has worked at VCU for over 15 years managing many of the University's annual traditions, as well as, overseeing student centered diversity & inclusion programs. In 2019, she accepted the role of Program Director for the Minority Education Center housed within the VCU School of Education.

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Dr. Wilkerson also serves as an Adjunct Professor at The University of Richmond and sits on the Board of Directors for the VCU Alumni Association. She somehow does all of this while constantly working on her passion UnlockingRVA! 

Consulting

If you are looking for someone to detect problems, provide solutions and optimize productivity levels Dr. Wilkerson can offer her assistance. With an expertise ranging from diversity & inclusion to human resources let her provide a fresh outlook your organization isn't seeing.

Event Management

If you are looking for someone to organize and oversee your event look no further. Dr. Wilkerson and her UnlockingRVA team will coordinate all of the details to make sure your event is a success. The team has years of experience in both small and large scale events, plus a ton of contacts to maximize your budget.

Public Speaker|Host

If you are looking for a dynamic speaker or host for your upcoming special event, conference or retreat look no further! Dr. Wilkerson is able to speak on multiple topics ranging from diversity, to entrepreneurship and leadership. She is also available to host both large and small events of all types.

Wedding Officiant

If you are looking for someone to serve as the Wedding Officiant for your big day Dr. Wilkerson is now able to offer those services. She will design a ceremony that is beautiful, elegant and personalized to you, to ensure that your ceremony reflects the personal values and/or spirituality you both share.

According to Amazon I am now an Influencer

I will just cut to the chase. I am a weekly Amazon orderer and decided to try my hand at their influencer program to make myself feel like my purchases are for the greater good of helping others make fantastic unneeded purchasing decisions.

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--That run on sentence made complete sense BTW--

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Lets face it, who likes spending money alone! Check out my most recent finds within my amazon shop and be sure to email, text, call or DM me with your weekly "faith why did you make me buy this" complaints :-) I am all ears!

Virtual Fundraiser Happy Hour

Nantasha Williams is a community leader, advocate, political organizer and one of Dr. Wilkerson's former student from VCU who is running for New York City Council District 27 later this year!

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During this fundraiser you can find out more about Nantasha's platform and how you can help her campaign even if you do not live in NYC. The best part, Dr. Wilkerson will be serving as the virtual bartender for the evening. 

Leaders Unleashed

Dr. Wilkerson is excited to be serving as the keynote speaker for th VCU Student Activities Leaders Unleashed conference on October 31, 2020

This is a gateway experience to finding your life-changing experiences, your best friend or mentor, and shaping your role as a leader at VCU, in your community, and beyond.

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This conference is open to all student leaders at VCU.

Register Here!

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Social Justice-Injustice Series

The Social Justice-Injustice Series: Equality in Education is happening from 6 p.m. - 7 p.m. Oct. 20, 2020

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The VCU Alumni Richmond Chapter and the VCU Alumni African American Alumni Council host a series of social justice-injustice panel discussions focused on spreading awareness and spawning conversations around topics of social justice and disparities concerning Black people and people of color.

The first panel dicussion features Tomikia LeGrande, Ed.D., VCU's vice president for strategy, enrollment management and student success, and 2019 National Teacher of the Year Rodney Robinson (M.Ed.’11/E). Faith Wilkerson, Ed.D. (B.S.’03/MC; M.Ed.’05/E; Ed.D.’15/E), moderates.

Register for Zoom link.

Becoming an Anti Racist

The Office of Strategic Engagement is pleased to present the Becoming an Antiracist Educator series. This dynamic professional learning opportunity will intentionally develop skills to engage in practices to dismantle systems that perpetuate racial inequities.

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We invite you to join us in an interactive and reflective virtual space to deepen our understanding of race, racism, and systemic inequities. Collectively, we will challenge the underlying structures that uphold racism and will develop dispositions to demonstrate antiracist actions within our personal and professional environments.

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Registration includes access to all nine sessions. Dr. Wilkerson will be presenting on January 26th & 28th  Register here.

VCU Women’s Power Lunches

The VCU Alumni Richmond Chapter, in partnership with the VCU Alumni African American Alumni council and other regional alumni chapters, is excited to bring four series of virtual panels to discuss topics ranging from social justice to financial wellness to women empowerment.

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Catch Dr. Wilkerson talking live about UnlockingRVA from Noon- 1p.m. on Monday, Oct. 5. Event is free and open to all. Register today

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Rebelle Con

This year @RebelleCon is making their conference virtual and I am excited to be among a group of amazing women who are leading the mentor sessions on Tuesday, June 9th!!

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If you didn’t know, Rebelle Con is a three-day conference which brings inspiring speakers from across the country, showcases women owned companies, and allows space for attendees to connect with and inspire one another.

Virtual Happy Hour 

Dr. Wilkerson was thrilled to join in on a Virtual panel discussion on how to help businesses leverage financial resources, increase business development, and maximize social media during COVID-19. This was presented by Blk RVA a new initiative out of Richmond Region Tourism to discover African American history and culture in Richmond. 

Founders Summit

Dr. Wilkerson was pleased to be asked to join the VCU Da Vinci Centers, Female Founders Summit panel. The summit brought together the best of the region’s female founders and innovators to make change in their communities and cultivate opportunities for the next generation.

LeadHers Amongst Us

Dr. Wilkerson joined the VCU Career Center for a 45-minute virtual panel of women who hold leadership roles in underrepresented career fields speaking to college women about my entrepreneurial journey.

Minority Education Center

Dr. Wilkerson has been recently named the Program Director for the VCU School of Education Minority Educator Recruitment Retention and Equity Center.

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Part of her role will be assisting with the recruitment/retention of educators of color through mentorship and co-curricular activities. Read more about the center here.

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Keynote Speaker

Dr. Wilkerson was thrilled to serve as the keynote speaker for the City of Richmond's Employee Learning Campaign kick off event. She also facilitated a breakout session on leadership to a group of 50 employees.

Book your 1-1 Session

Dr. Wilkerson is now offering 1-1 brainstorming and mentoring sessions for local entrepreneurs. All sessions come with a 60min face to face meeting, full audit of all digital mediums, business plan review and useful tools to grown your business or idea. 

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Secure your spot today!

Business Beyond Banking

C&F Bank's ‘Business Beyond Banking’ Speaker Series is a monthly breakfast program designed to provide small business owners access to information and education outside of the realm of banking.

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Each month will feature a different expert from various fields relating to small business support and resources, including branding, succession planning, organization, networking, and more.

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Dr. Wilkerson is happy to serve as the expert on August 6th and facilitate a discussion on how to 'Effectively Create Mutually Beneficial Partnerships'. For more information and to secure your FREE ticket just click here. 

Let's Go V C U!

Dr. Wilkerson is thrilled to announce she is now the newest board member to the VCU Alumni Board of Governors. As the latest addition to the Engagement Committee she hopes to truly make an impact on both current students and graduates. VCU Alumni is led on a volunteer basis with board members serving a renewable, three-year term.

VCU Alumni Network and Learn

Come to one of Richmond’s newest social cafes, Urban Hang Suite, to connect with other alumni business owners and engage in a discussion about the state of women, minority and LGBTQ-owned businesses. All alumni are invited to the inaugural event in the Alumni-owned Business Series to learn from our panelists’ diverse experiences and their lessons on leadership and climbing the entrepreneurial career ladder.

Panelists are:

• Rudy Burwell (B.S.’86/MC), president, Encompass Supply

• Sarah Milston (M.P.A.’05/GPA), CEO, The Spark Mill

• Faith Wilkerson, Ed.D. (B.S.’03/MC; M.Ed.’05/E; Ed.D.’15/E), owner, UnlockingRVA

When: 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, June 25
Where: Urban Hang Suite
Cost: $5. Includes one drink, complimentary hors d’oeuvres and a new alumni-owned business decal.
RSVP: Online. Register early. Space is limited.

Let's Unlock RVA 

In 2017, I graduated from the Richmond Region Tourism - "I am Tourism" program.  As a thank you I was given a pass for myself and 1 guest to experience several Richmond attractions for FREE. I decided to use this opportunity to connect with people outside of my networks by inviting one person to join me as I knock out each location. Will it be you?

Click HERE to sign up.

RVA East End Festival

For the second year in a row Dr. Wilkerson is super excited to be hosting day 2 of the RVA East End Festival. Join her in Chimborazo Park from 1pm-5pm on Sunday, June 9th for this FREE family friendly event featuring live music, food trucks and so much more! 

Richmond Urban Dance: I Am Hip Hop

Dr. Wilkerson is set to co-host RUD's annual hip hop dance show on both Friday, June 7th and Saturday, June 8th at Maggie Walker High School. The show serves as a huge fundraising event for their organization and showcases both youth and adult dancers. Tickets will go fast. You can purchases your tickets here.

Work of Art Leadership Conference

Join Dr. Wilkerson at the Work of Art annual Leadership Conference! This year they will be focusing on learning how to lead and how to learn about ourselves through leadership. They will have a panel of women in leadership roles and Dr. Wilkerson along with Shantell Chambliss of Central Virginia's Dress for Success will serve as the events Keynote speakers. This event is free to attend, but you do need to RSVP.

NBC 12 About Town

Dr. Wilkerson is excited for her company UnlockingRVA to once again serve as the lead planner for the Richmond Black Restaurant Experience (RBRE). She recently got a chance to appear on NBC 12's 12 About Town with a member of the RBRE team to chat about her business and the upcoming week of events. Check out the interview here.

The Sydney like Australia Show

Dr. Wilkerson recently completed a fun interview with Sydney Skidmore on her weekly show which airs on WRIR 97.3. In this interview Dr. Wilkerson chats about how she balances her life and business! Check out the full interview at 

Chats with Chelsi

Dr. Wilkerson was recently invited to be on Chelsi Bennet's show, Chats with Chelsi. She had a blast talking about  her superpower's and how she leads as a business woman, professor, event planner, and public speaker. You can also watch on LifewithChelsi.com or listen on iTunes or Google Play.

Adjunct Faculty at
University of Richmond

Dr. Wilkerson has recently joined the Rhetoric & Communication Studies department at the University of Richmond as an Adjunct Faculty member! She will be teaching a course on Public Speaking throughout 2019 school year and is truly excited for this brand new opportunity to jump back into the world of higher education!

2018 Central VA Kidney Walk

Dr. Wilkerson is honored to serve as the host of the 2018 Central Virginia Kidney Walk main stage on Saturday, October 20th. The event raises awareness and funds life-saving programs that educate and support patients, their families and those at risk. Want to participate click here for more information. 

2018 Women Who Mean Business Summit

Dr. Wilkerson is happy to be serving as the Emcee/Moderator for the Women Who Mean Business Summit is a one-day conference that brings together women professionals for a day of workshops, networking, advice and opportunity. The Summit focuses on leadership and innovative thinking. Click here for more information

Brand Like a Girl

Dr. Wilkerson is happy to be a guest speaker at the Brand Like a Girl event on Sunday, October 7th! This three hour long entrepreneurial seminar is for women who are seeking to gain insight on professional development, goal setting, and how to build and maintain a successful business. 

Want attend this event? Purchase tickets here.

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Fortis University Commencement Speaker

Dr. Wilkerson was honored to serve as the commencement speaker for Fortis University's Fall 2018 commencement ceremony. She spoke on knowing your worth and never being afraid of making a few modifications to your life plan over the years.

Newest Member of the Board

Dr. Wilkerson is excited to announce her latest position on the Board of Director's for TheatreLab. TheatreLAB creates unique theatrical experiences that spark a collaborative exchange of ideas between artist and audience. 

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She is so excited to get to work on this amazing board and to dive into Season 6 of this amazing playhouse! 

VCU School of Education Alumni Council 

Dr. Wilkerson is proud to have become a member of VCU's School of Education Alumni Council:

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The Council has historically focused on providing leadership, services, and activities for alumni and the larger university. The council is organized to:

• Advance the cause of education

• Stimulate and maintain professional relationships between the School of Education and its alumni

• Promote an awareness, understanding and support of the School’s goals, progress, and needs

• Embrace the larger purposes of the VCU alumni organization

NACE - Vendor to Vendor Relationships

Dr. Wilkerson was excited to lead a session during NACE's next monthly meeting. The National Association for Catering and Events is the first non-profit national organization for caterers, event planners and event professionals.

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Her session will be on teaching the importance of vendor to vendor relationship building. Tickets are open to the public and can be purchased here.

8 Great Dates with Faith

In 2017, Dr. Wilkerson released '8 Great Dates with Faith'. Each week she shared various group and individual activities people could do in and around Richmond exclusively on the OccasionGenius website. Check it out!

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