Them2Us turns “them” into “us” — connecting professionals, communities, and global partners through mentorship, advocacy, and outreach that reaches from Washington, DC to Africa.
Them2Us Networking — it's a movementWashington, DC Urban Professionals NetworkingOrlando, FL Urban Professionals NetworkingDMV Professionals Happy Hour Featuring Black Nurses WeekGhana Mission Laptops, STEM tools & mentorshipU.S.–Tanzania Summit 469 professionals connectedSouth Africa Laptops & essentials delivered
0
Missions across 4 countries
0
Community events hosted
0
Attendees engaged
0
Generated for Black-owned businesses
0
Students placed in internships
Who We Are
A movement built on advocacy in action
Them2Us is a Washington, D.C.–based 501(c)(3) nonprofit built on a simple idea: proximity changes people. We bring professionals and community members together through networking across Washington, DC — and turn those connections into real, lasting opportunity.
We create mentorship for young minority professionals, link Black professionals with African youth through STEM, and confront local violence and wage inequality where people live.
The people steering Them2Us's mission to bridge and build.
Jerome Lewis, MBA, PMP, CSM
Founder & Executive Director
Them2Us
Jerome Lewis is the Founder and Executive Director of Them2Us, a national nonprofit dedicated to mentorship through networking, advocacy in action, and global outreach. A U.S. Army combat veteran, senior technology project manager, and Ph.D. candidate in Leadership Studies, he brings more than 17 years of experience leading enterprise technology, digital transformation, and strategic initiatives across government and private sector organizations. His passion for connecting people has helped grow Them2Us into one of the nation's premier professional networking organizations, creating opportunities through leadership development, mentorship, career advancement, global service missions, and community engagement. Jerome believes meaningful relationships create lasting impact and is committed to building bridges that empower individuals and strengthen communities.
April Green
Senior Board Member, Global Outreach
Founder & Principal Consultant, The Real Evolution LLC
April Green is an accomplished operations strategist and business consultant with more than 13 years of experience leading service delivery, operational excellence, client operations, and business process improvement across government-regulated and private sector organizations. As Founder and Principal Consultant of The Real Evolution LLC, April helps organizations improve operational performance, strengthen client experiences, and build scalable systems that drive measurable results. Her expertise spans project coordination, stakeholder engagement, business operations, and organizational strategy. As Senior Board Member for Global Outreach at Them2Us, she provides strategic leadership for international initiatives, community partnerships, and mission-driven programs that expand the organization's global impact.
Dr. Alger M. Studstill, Jr.
Senior Board Member, Strategic Leadership & Community Impact
Executive Director, Social Services Administration — Maryland Department of Human Services
Dr. Alger M. Studstill, Jr. is a nationally recognized human services executive with extensive leadership experience in child welfare, public administration, and organizational transformation. He currently serves as Executive Director of the Social Services Administration for the Maryland Department of Human Services, overseeing statewide child and adult welfare operations, more than 2,000 employees, and an annual budget exceeding $550 million. Throughout his career he has led transformational initiatives across Maryland, Nebraska, and Florida, improving operational performance, strengthening public services, and advancing equitable outcomes for children and families. He also serves as an Adjunct Professor at Valencia College and is recognized nationally for his leadership in public service, innovation, and workforce development. As a Senior Board Member of Them2Us, Dr. Studstill provides strategic guidance, executive mentorship, and governance that supports the organization's continued growth and long-term vision.
Brittany Martin, M.A.
Board Member, Partnerships & Sponsorships
Owner & Administrator, Prestige Haven Assisted Living Facility
Brittany Martin, M.A., is the Owner and Administrator of Prestige Haven Assisted Living Facility, where she is committed to providing compassionate, high-quality care that promotes dignity, independence, and an exceptional quality of life for seniors. With a master's degree and a strong background in healthcare leadership, Brittany combines operational excellence with a servant leadership approach to ensure residents and their families receive personalized support and outstanding care. Beyond her work in healthcare, she is passionate about community engagement, relationship building, and creating meaningful partnerships. As Board Member for Partnerships and Sponsorships at Them2Us, she leads efforts to cultivate strategic relationships with corporate partners, nonprofit organizations, and community leaders to advance the organization's mission.
Kenya Stephens
Board Member, Events & Operations
Owner & Director, Precious Creations Preschool and Academy
Kenya Stephens is an educator, entrepreneur, and community leader dedicated to empowering children and families through education and mentorship. She is the Owner and Director of Precious Creations Preschool and Academy, where she has spent years creating nurturing learning environments that prepare young learners for lifelong success. In addition to leading her preschool, Kenya serves as an Instructor with JetBlue Airways and founded Soooo Adorable Modeling, a youth development program that teaches confidence, leadership, and professional skills through modeling and the performing arts. As Board Member for Events and Operations at Them2Us, she oversees event planning and operational execution, helping create engaging networking experiences that connect professionals, strengthen communities, and inspire future leaders.
Tiye Huertas, M.A., CCC-SLP, is an accomplished entrepreneur, Speech-Language Pathologist, and advocate dedicated to improving outcomes for children and families. She is the CEO of Collaborative Therapies and Collaborative Care, as well as the founder of Collaborative Contracts, where she helps entrepreneurs position their businesses for government contracting opportunities. As the parent of a child with autism, Tiye brings both professional expertise and personal experience to her work, creating accessible, family-centered therapy services while empowering business owners to grow sustainable organizations. Through leadership, education, and advocacy, she is committed to building stronger communities and expanding opportunities for others.
Our Mission
We build bridges where people once saw distance.
Them2Us is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit built on a simple conviction: proximity changes people. When a student meets the professional who's already walked the path, when a business owner meets the partner they didn't know existed, when a room in Washington, DC connects to a classroom in Accra — the line between "them" and "us" starts to disappear.
We do that work three ways: mentorship through networking that turns introductions into careers, advocacy in action that puts resources and voice where they're needed, and global outreach that carries both across borders. Every event, every mission, every mentorship hour is aimed at the same outcome — closing the gap until there's no them and us, just us, building together.
Every program runs on the same belief — get close enough, and “them” becomes “us.”
Mentorship Through Networking
The #1 networking community in Washington, DC. Curated events, panels, and happy hours where the right introduction becomes a job, a mentor, or a partnership.
Advocacy in Action
STEM activations in schools and community centers, economic empowerment, and directing real dollars to Black-owned businesses — advocacy you can measure.
Global Outreach
Six humanitarian missions to Africa — delivering laptops, STEM tools, and mentorship, and connecting the diaspora with the communities that raised us.
Upcoming Events
Where the room becomes the network
Connect with like-minded professionals, exchange ideas, and expand your network. Reserve your spot at an upcoming Them2Us event.
Thu · Sep 17, 2026
CBC Tech Symposium
Washington, DC · Location TBA
During Congressional Black Caucus Weekend · Keynotes, executive panels & VIP networking
This December, we lead our third mission to Ghana — delivering 150+ laptops and STEM tools to three schools, and connecting the diaspora through a professional networking summit in Accra. Educate. Empower. Elevate.
★ Our 3rd mission to Ghana · Our 7th to Africa · Dec 15–17, 2026
Donate
Every gift funds technology, mentorship, and travel.
Donate a Laptop
New or used — put a computer in a child's hands.
Sponsor a Mission
Back travel, events, meals, and operations on the ground.
Join the Trip
Travel with us to Accra and make direct impact.
Diaspora & U.S. Professional Networking Summit — Dec 15, 6–10 PM, Accra. An evening of connection bringing together diaspora leaders, U.S. professionals, and Ghanaian entrepreneurs.
Attend or partner →
These are previous deliveries — the same model we'll run in Accra this December.
Hand-deliveredEvery device carried in our luggageDocumentedSigned receipts at every handoverDirectNo middlemen between gift and childPartneredLocal leaders vouch for every schoolMentorshipLaptops come with people attachedCeremonySchools receive us formally
The Ask · Ghana Mission 2026
Sponsor a classroom into the future
Every laptop is sourced, hand-carried in our luggage, and delivered to a Ghanaian classroom — about $330 all-in. Mix cash and equipment donations to reach any tier. All gifts are 100% tax-deductible.
Bronze
$1,000
3 laptops
Name on mission materials
Recognition to our 400+ network
Donation impact report
Silver
$2,500
7 laptops
All Bronze benefits
Logo on the mission webpage
Named at the Accra Summit
Gold
$5,000
15 laptops
All Silver benefits
Logo on mission team shirts
Event signage at Summit
Platinum
$10,000
30 laptops
All Gold benefits
Logo in mission recap video
Your rep joins the mission
Diamond
$15,000+
45+ laptops
All Platinum benefits
Premier mission-wide signage
Summit co-host + your rep speaks
The Big Ask
Become the Presenting Sponsor
Fund the core of the mission — 120 laptops plus hand-delivery — and put your brand at the center of everything: top billing on every asset, logo on the delegation polo and the laptops themselves, premier Summit signage, and a live podium acknowledgment in Accra.
$40,000
funds 120 laptops + delivery
Import duties are covered under GETFund's statutory education exemption — no customs costs erode your gift. Donated laptops from a corporate device refresh count toward the exact same tiers as cash. 501(c)(3) · EIN 92-3277175. Ready to sponsor? jerome@them2us.com · (407) 437-2997.
From America to Africa
Our missions have reached children's homes and schools across the continent — delivering technology, mentorship, and the message that no one is on their own.
Our Impact, Year by Year
Every year, another bridge built
Six missions, four countries, and a room full of professionals back home — here's what each year looked like on the ground.
2022
Where it started
Nairobi, Kenya — our first mission abroad
On November 12, 2022 we took local professionals to Nairobi and gave orphaned children something they'd never had: a day at the cinema. We chartered a Black Panther-wrapped bus, filled the theater, and spent the day in the community — leaving behind clothing, food, and essentials. We came home certain this had to keep going.
165 children to see Black PantherFirst mission to AfricaNov 12, 2022Clothing, food & essentials
165 children at the Black Panther screeningNairobi, KenyaMovie day at the cinemaThe Wakanda Forever shuttleIn the community, Nairobi
2023
Three missions
Ghana & South Africa — the model takes shape
Three missions in one year. In Accra, we supported 180 children at Eye of the Lord Orphanage — a home led by a blind caregiver — and 75+ more at Akwadum Christian Village. In Johannesburg, seven volunteers spent the day with 150 HIV-affected children at Nkosi's Haven.
405+ children supported2 countries7 volunteers deployedFood, shoes, clothing & school supplies
Johannesburg, South AfricaWith community leaders, Ghana
2024
Breakthrough year
Cape Town, Tanzania & the first laptops
In April we returned to Cape Town, South Africa, buying school uniforms for 120+ children at Siyaphambili Orphan Group and delivering our first laptop and printer abroad — the moment the technology mission was born. In November we reached Tanzania, hosting a networking summit with Dr. Battle, the U.S. Ambassador to Tanzania, as guest speaker, then spending time with the children at Ukwama Children's Home. At home, Advocacy in Action meant Albert Einstein Career Day, a mental health clinic at Kramer Middle School, and mentoring 400 7th and 8th graders at Charles Herbert Flowers High School.
South Africa · April 2024Tanzania · November 2024U.S. Ambassador as guest speakerFirst laptop & printer delivered400 students mentored
First laptop & printer delivered, Cape TownHandover ceremony, Cape Town, South AfricaUkwama Children's Home, TanzaniaWith the U.S. Ambassador to TanzaniaJerome Lewis & the Them2Us team at Kramer Middle SchoolMental health workshop for 8th graders · Kramer Middle SchoolWellness coach ZiKea McCurdie leads a student activityCommunity Advocacy Director Tonia Young leads the session
2025
Building at home
Washington, DC — recognition and reach
A year of scaling the work at home: networking events across tech, law and government, healthcare, small business, and arts and entertainment; school activations covering mental health, mock interviews, and the transition from high school to the workforce; and Advocacy in Action initiatives including violence reduction meetings that strengthen our communities. Three staff members received the President's Volunteer Service Award, and 13 professionals were honored as humanitarians for their global outreach.
President's Volunteer Service Award ×313 humanitarians honoredViolence reduction initiatives100+ Black creatives showcased
President's Volunteer Service Award recipientsAdvocacy in action — at the tableGlobal Outreach galaProfessionals Happy Hour, Washington, DC
2026
This year
Orlando, Washington, DC & a return to Ghana
The community expanded beyond Washington, DC to Orlando, with networking events running through the year alongside CBC Tech and Leaders of the South during Congressional Black Caucus week. In December we return to Ghana for our third mission there — and seventh to Africa — delivering 150+ laptops to three schools.
4 major events2 cities150+ laptops pledged7th mission to Africa
Orlando Urban ProfessionalsUrban Professionals, Washington, DC
Next
On the horizon
Ghana Mission — December 15–17, 2026
Three days, three schools, 150+ laptops delivered with full documentation and signed receipts, plus the Diaspora & U.S. Professional Networking Summit in Accra. Sponsorship is open now.
3 schools150+ laptopsAccra Summit, Dec 15
Ghana Mission · Dec 15–17, 2026Diaspora & U.S. Professional Summit · Accra
Every laptop we've shipped arrived, was logged, and was signed for. This is a proven model — not a promise.
6 Missions · 4 Countries · 1,400+ lives touched
Kenya · 2022
Nairobi
Orphanage outreach
300 children saw their first-ever movie — Black Panther — plus clothing, food, and essentials to carry hope forward.
Ghana · 2023
Accra
Eye of the Lord Orphanage
180 children — a home led by a blind caregiver — supported with clothing, shoes, rice, and food.
South Africa · 2023
Johannesburg
Nkosi's Haven
150 HIV-affected children reached with activities, food, and games, supported by 7 volunteers on the ground.
Ghana · 2023
Accra
Akwadum Christian Village
75+ children supported with food, clothing, educational materials, and recreational items.
South Africa · 2024
Cape Town
Siyaphambili Orphan Group
120+ children — school uniforms purchased, and our first laptop and printer delivered abroad.
Tanzania · 2024
Multiple cities
U.S.–Tanzania Summit
469 professionals connected in one evening — opened by U.S. Ambassador Dr. Battle — plus 150+ children at Ukwama Children's Home.
In Pictures
Moments that made the movement
From Washington, DC to Accra to Cape Town — the rooms, the missions, and the people who turn "them" into "us."
Ghana mission — supplies & mentorshipWith community leaders, GhanaOrlando networking, Allure LoungeSouth Africa outreachDMV Professionals Happy HourDelivery ceremony, GhanaArt & entertainment showcaseYouth mentorship, GhanaUrban Professionals, Washington DCOn the ground, Accra
Partners & Recognition
Trusted at home and on the ground
Them2Us at the U.S.–Tanzania Professional Summit
Opened by a U.S. Ambassador
The U.S. Ambassador to Tanzania opened our 469-professional summit — a room connecting American and Tanzanian business.
President's Volunteer Service Award ×3
Three Them2Us staff have been honored for exemplary commitment to community service.
13 professionals honored
DC professionals recognized as humanitarians for their contributions to our global outreach.
On the ground in Ghana
BridgeZone Global, the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund), and the Ghana Tourism Authority back every delivery.
Partners & supporters
GDITAmazonBETTechsgiving202CreatesDC CreativesJB EnterpriseGETFundGhana Tourism AuthorityBridgeZone GlobalFocus Social Club
Voices
What happens after the room
Our events aren't just mixers. People have landed jobs, joined missions, and built businesses from a single introduction.
“
Them2Us created a high-impact activation that exceeded expectations. I strongly recommended to our CEO that GDIT continue this partnership.
VP of DiversityGDIT
We want to hear your success story
Did a Them2Us event lead to a job, a mentor, a client, or a partnership? Did you travel with us on a mission? Tell us — your story helps someone else take the first step.
When a humanitarian or volunteer travels with us, they come home with that country's flag pin — worn on the sleeve, right on the Them2Us shirt.
It isn't merchandise. You can't buy one. Each pin means you were there — that you carried laptops through an airport, sat with children in a classroom, shook hands with a community leader who trusted us to come back. Look at a veteran of our missions and you can read their service straight off their sleeve: Kenya. Ghana. South Africa. Tanzania.
Six missions. Four countries. One sleeve at a time.
Them2Us runs on people who show up — in a room in Washington, DC, in a classroom in Accra, or behind the scenes making both possible. There's a role here whatever your schedule looks like.
At our events
Check-in, hospitality, photography, setup and breakdown. The most common way people start — one evening, a few hours, and you're inside the network you came to build.
A few hours · Washington, DC & Orlando
On a humanitarian mission
Travel with us to Africa. Carry laptops, run STEM sessions, sit with children, and represent Them2Us on the ground. You cover your travel; we handle the mission.
3–7 days · Next: Ghana, Dec 15–17
Skills-based
Design, video, grant writing, logistics, social media, translation. If you're good at something we need, that's often worth more than an extra pair of hands.
Remote · Flexible
Mentor a student
Weekly mentorship in high-need schools — mock interviews, career days, mental health sessions, and the transition from high school into the workforce.
Ongoing · Washington, DC area
On the ground in GhanaUkwama Children's Home, TanzaniaSouth Africa missionNairobi, Kenya
How it works
Reach out. Email us with what you'd like to do and roughly how much time you have.
We match you. We'll point you at the next event, mission, or project that fits.
You show up. We brief you beforehand — you'll never be dropped in cold.
You earn your place. Travel on a mission and you come home with that country's flag pin for your sleeve.
Every Them2Us event features a panel of professionals talking honestly about how they got where they are. If you've built something, navigated something, or learned something the hard way — there's a seat for you.
DMV Professionals Happy Hour
Attend or partner →
