Member Spotlight: April Fenall

When April Fenall first crossed paths with BlackFemaleProject Founder Precious J. Stroud, she was a business owner in the process of learning how to tell her own story in a compelling way; connecting to our storytelling project was timely and serendipitous. “I was excited to be a part of a project that focused on empowering and creating a space for Black women to have a voice,” April shares.

April is a survivor. A Bay Area native, mother, stepmother, and entrepreneur, April has persisted through significant barriers, missteps she’s made in her past, and trauma inflicted on her at the hands of others. She has overcome experiences with sexual abuse and domestic violence, substance abuse, and incarceration, and navigates life with a disability. Like all of our BlackFemaleProject contributors, April refuses to be defined by her circumstances and challenges. “I am living my best life and empowering those that are ready to change their narrative,” she says. By extracting the wisdom available from her journey and focusing on possibilities, April is thriving on the entrepreneurial path she has forged for herself.  

Her connection to BlackFemaleProject—as a participant and inaugural leadership team member—has played a major role in getting her to this point. The connection has been fruitful in a technical sense, as April says that working on the Project and watching its growth over the years “has provided a great template to follow in growing [her] own businesses and social media presence.” Since her first exposure to BlackFemaleProject, she has transformed what was once an idea into a thriving and successful business: PiikUp is an innovative and socially responsible delivery hub for businesses, employing and supporting people who face barriers to employment.

“The lack of success your first time does not necessitate your failure. It’s literally a lesson that you’ve learned to not make the same mistake again.” Fern A. Stroud SUMMARY In this five-part conversation, Ché Abram, podcast host and inaugural cohort member, talks with fellow members of the inaugural leadership team. This is the group of volunteers responsible for our behind-the-scenes operations, outreach, events support, and more; they’ve given their time to make sure the project is moving forward. Ché leads the group in a conversation focused on what’s led us to the present reality of BlackFemaleProject, what’s changed over the past few years, and why each team member has felt compelled to contribute to sustaining the work. Content covered illuminates the organic growth and expansion of what started as Precious’s own healing journey. HOST Ché Abram, Higher Ed, Mid-Career Her deepest joy being a mother, Che brings 10+ years of higher education experience to the BlackFemaleProject including extensive knowledge in the areas of enrollment, student services and retention. Specialties include: strategic planning and implementation, policy review and implementation and organizational culture change. Follow: @ayadwennimmen GUESTS April Fenall, Transportation/Logistics, Consulting -- Beginning (in this industry) April Fenall is a business professional with a background in marketing and communications, bringing over 15 years of broad experience working both in the private and government sectors. April enjoys work that is both impactful and allows her to connect with the public. She is also the Founder of Piikup, a delivery startup and 2017 Indie Award winner. April received her Bachelor’s degree in Intercultural Communications from California State University Sacramento. dana e. fitchett, Education/Nonprofit, Consulting, Arts -- Mid-Career dana e. fitchett has worked in schools and in education- and social justice-focused not-for-profits for the past 12 years with roles ranging from direct classroom work and family organizing to event management and marketing and communications. Also a multidisciplinary artist, dana writes, makes visual art, teaches movement classes, and directs a small group of Black woman dancers based in the Bay Area. She holds an AB in Urban Studies with concentrations in Sociology and Black Studies from Vassar College, and is currently pursuing a Masters in Fine Art in Interdisciplinary Art, exploring identity reconciliation and decolonization through creative expression. Fern Stroud, Information Technologies (IT) -- Mid-/End-Career Fern A. Stroud, a gifted musician and tenure of IT Software Development Project Management, Fern's life work is to bridge the gap between business, art, and community. Her vision has been realized through successful partnership, board service, and other initiatives including production of Black Vines - A Toast to Black Wineries and Diverse Art. Fern earned a B.S. in Computer Information Systems and completed a software development internship at National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in Palo Alto, California. She currently manages Big Data related efforts in Silicon Valley. Precious Stroud, Marketing & Communications, Nonprofit -- Late-/Mid-Career Precious founded the BlackFemaleProject. And she helps nonprofits tell their stories. The daughter of a teacher and a poet, she combines her business acumen and problem solving ability with her imagination to increase the brand awareness of community-based and public service organizations. Precious' lifelong learning includes more than 16 years of marketing communications experience and a B.S. degree in Business Administration. Precious currently serves as Principal and Lead Consultant for PJS Consultants. RESOURCES Blackfemaleproject.org PJSconsultants.net Piikup.com blackvines.net

Beyond the technical, though, the women who make BlackFemaleProject what it is have provided April with invaluable interpersonal benefits that can only come about through the support of powerful community. She says she’s gained “a sense of belonging to a special group of women who are fighters and have found their voice,” remedying feelings of isolation, and points out that it was a fellow BlackFemaleProject sister who talked her through her plans to confront her mother’s abuser, a loaded and life-changing step to take. The relationships April’s developed through our community have been, in her words, “inspiring, supporting, and caring.” What’s more, this sense of support that April has received has come in different forms, not just from in-person relationship building. She speaks to the benefits she’s gained from listening to our podcasts and reading written content as well, pointing to several specific pieces in which she’s found reflection and affirmation. We are so happy to be able to lift up the remarkable stories of our sisters and that the various formats we offer can have this level of impact within our immediate community and beyond.

These things and more encouraged April to join the #100SistersStrong movement by supporting the Project through membership. If you haven’t already, we hope you’ll consider doing the same!

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APRIL’S BIO

April Fenall is a business professional with a background in Marketing and Communications bringing over 15 years of broad experience working in the retail and service industries and across multiple college campuses in Sacramento. She received a B.A. degree in Intercultural Communications from California State University Sacramento.

She is also the founder of Piikup, a socially responsible delivery hub in the Bay Area that supports food, retail and other businesses with local logistics support. Created in 2015 as part of the solution to strengthen communities and empower and uplift people who are not only looking to change their narrative in need of a first chance and often second chance, but also to help them level up in their technical skills so that they can gain the type of employment that will sustain them.

In her spare time, you can find April mentoring entrepreneurs in the early stages of starting a business or teaching adult learners how to use 21st-century applications needed in the Bay Area and job markets of the future.

Connect with April on LinkedIn.