Dr. Velma Trayham, the CEO of ThinkZILLA Consulting, a Black- and woman-owned community and economic empowerment agency that opened its fourth office in Phoenix last year. During the interview, Dr. Trayham shared the past challenges that have led to her present success as well as future plans for fostering more economic empowerment among women.
Dr. Trayham defines the American dream. Born in extreme poverty in Houston, Texas, she beat the odds stacked against her to become a successful entrepreneur and transformational thinker.
As a woman in business and as an African American, this fearless boss lady continues to shatter barriers and she’s helping others do this too.
“One of the things I realized is that most people will do better if they knew better,” Dr. Trayham, who recently expanded her agency to Arizona, told ABC15 Mornings anchor Kaley O’Kelley.
Her life journey has come with the gift of being able to spot implicit bias, which is an unconscious association, belief, or attitude toward any social group. Thankfully Dr. Trayham found a way to create more awareness.
Even when change is difficult, “you have to become the change you want to see in the world,” Dr. Trayham said, discussing the implicit bias that women and minorities face every day.
To that end, ThinkZILLA Consulting helps businesses and individuals achieve and sustain success by embracing diversity and celebrating their unique strengths. As the founder of the Millionaire Mastermind Academy, Dr. Trayham has mentored more than 5,000 women through education on economic empowerment, breaking through the status quo, and social equity.
In the one-on-one interview with O’Kelley, Dr. Trayham discussed the importance of facing your fears and overcoming roadblocks: “You can’t fix a problem if you don’t understand the culture, and I’m here to embrace leaders who are passionate about change,” she said, just one of the reasons she founded ThinkZILLA to help people of color overcome challenges. “It’s definitely time for change, and I believe Arizona is a state that is embracing that change.”
ThinkZILLA is certified as a woman-owned small business (WOSB) by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and a certified minority business enterprise through the National Minority Supplier Development Council; it maintains as an A+ rating through the Better Business Bureau. The agency’s three core areas of client focus are social equity alignment, community relations and public engagement, and economic empowerment.
Dr. Velma Trayham is an award-winning entrepreneur, author, speaker, and economic empowerment specialist who believes in the power of inclusive, equitable businesses to create community and spark change. The CEO of ThinkZILLA Consulting Group, which brings greater awareness to initiatives that support underserved communities, Dr. Trayham also founded the Millionaire Mastermind Academy, which has mentored more than 5,000 minority women business owners in its first three years. For more information, please visit ThinkZillaConsulting.com
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