Ticina Williams

02/01/2026

Welcome to my World! 24hrs in Springfield for the Everything Local Conference as a state certified Farmers Market Manager 👩🏾‍🌾

01/30/2026

Day 2 of the Everything Local Conference 💚

01/29/2026

Day 1 at the Everything Local Conference in Springfield was a great start.

As a Program Manager with the South East Chicago Commission (SECC) and an Illinois State Certified Farmers Market Manager, I had the opportunity to co-present a session titled “Build Partnerships That Power Farmers Markets and Boost Attendance” alongside Cathy McDermott, ILFMA Board Member and Interim Executive Director of Rock River Development Partnership and the Rockford Farmers Market.

The day was filled with strong conversations around marketing strategies and vendor management, plus plenty of locally grown, locally made, and truly delicious food. I wrapped up the evening at the ILFMA fundraiser and even met a new farmer friend along the way.

Grateful for the learning, the connections, and the continued opportunity to strengthen farmers markets as community and economic anchors. Day one was a success.

12/14/2025

Venture capitalist Melissa Bradley has quietly been leading the Black Economic Alliance Entrepreneurs Fund LP as its managing partner. The fund is raising $50M to support “overlooked and underserved” entrepreneurs.

The fund had been operating in stealth mode since its launch, but filed a public disclosure with the SEC in March.

”We have been intentional about staying off the radar. We have several law firms who’ve advised us to kind of keep a low profile,” she told The Washington Business Journal.

🔗https://buff.ly/fEEKEx6

11/17/2025

We recently had the chance to connect with Ticina Williams and have shared our conversation below. Ticina , a huge thanks to you for investing the time to share your wisdom with those who are seeking it. We think it’s so important for us to share stories with our neighbors, friends and communi

10/02/2025

I’m honored to share that after receiving the Breakin’ It Down Award in 2024, I’ve been invited back to present the 2025 Award truly a full-circle moment! This year’s Breakin’ It Down Conference, themed “Choosing Courage,” will take place on Friday, October 24, 2025, at Malcolm X College in Chicago.
I’m excited to celebrate and uplift this year’s honorees. Register to join us: https://secure.qgiv.com/.../2025breakinitdownconference/

08/23/2025

Today I had the opportunity to join the Garfield Park Garden Network Community Gardens Tour with my 6-year-old son, Jordan. We visited several inspiring spaces, including the Finding Justice Garden, the Limes Smiles for Miles Garden, and the Kuumba Garden, where Jordan picked a cucumber straight from the vine.

These gardens show how vacant spaces can be transformed into places of growth, learning, and inclusion. They also highlight how green spaces bring neighbors together and strengthen community vitality.

We ended at the Garfield Park Neighborhood Market, where we supported a member of our church and other local small businesses. This was a powerful reminder of the role gardens and markets play in creating healthier, more connected communities.

Experiences like this continue to inspire my civic action plan—to activate more green spaces that nourish, educate, and unite our neighborhoods.

08/10/2025

This week, our community came together in the best way to celebrate National Farmers Market Week!

As both a State Certified Farmers Market Manager and the Program Manager of Community Development, I’m proud to see how our market continues to grow—not just in vendors and visitors, but in the ways we create space for health, connection, and creativity.

My vision for the Kids Corner has come a long way. What started with custom coloring sheets promoting healthy eating has blossomed into the new Move & Play Zone powered by Compeer Financial—where more than 25 kids sang, exercised, danced, and laughed together last weekk and this week.

These moments matter! They show that farmers markets can be more than a place to shop—they can be a place where families make memories, neighbors connect, and healthy lifestyles are celebrated.

Thank you to the Illinois Farmers Market Association, Compeer Financial, our vendors, volunteers, and community for making this possible. Healthy communities don’t happen by chance—they are built through collaboration, creativity, and consistent engagement.

08/05/2025

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/national-farmers-market-week-resilience-recognition-williams-mba-zxdjc

This morning, The Hyde Park Farmers Market received an official Proclamation from Governor J.B.

07/09/2025

Honored to attend the Next Level Exchange Networking Event: Exchange Fireside Chat featuring Scott Becker & Kevin Davenport!
Grateful for the opportunity to gain insight from Scott Becker, author of The Entrepreneur’s Edge, and connect with visionary leaders who are shaping the future of business and community.

06/13/2025

On Sunday June 8, 2025 I officially walked across the stage to confer my MBA degree! I entered this degree program when my youngest was a newborn and it was challenging because I still completed several prestigious and competitive business fellowships, business incubators and accelerators to grow my professional and business brand. Now the real work of building begins baddie

04/28/2025

https://open.substack.com/pub/creativiticustom/p/walking-toward-change-why-food-justice?r=1i7les&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false

Taking Steps Toward Food Security and Stronger Communities