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Cheryl Hawkins, center, at our Supra event
As the Founder and CEO of Prosperity Media Enterprise, Inc. which helps non-profits tap the power of media, Cheryl Lewis Hawkins has a keen appreciation of the effort it takes for local, equity-based organizations to apply for grants and how unusual it is for them to have an opportunity to garner a “national-scale”
grant of $100,000. She finds Impact100 DC’s
focus wonderful and is pleased to be with professional women who have the heart to help the community and make a real difference
Born and raised in Alexandria, VA, Hawkins became a mom when she was 19. She dedicated herself to raising her son and as he began to explore his interests, she did some “self-analysis” about her own. She loved movies, and Ruby Dee was an inspiration. Hawkins pursued a Certification in Acting and Production and in an open audition at Arena Stage met an actor, Joseph Pinckney, who had worked with Ruby Dee. That was the beginning of a long collaboration between Hawkins and Pinckney including a theater production, “Jagged Pieces of Black History” and their award-winning series for Howard University TV, “All Things Considered Black.”
As Hawkins focused on TV, she also earned her BA in Mass Media Arts (TV Production) from UDC, her MA in Communications (Public Affairs Broadcast Journalism) at American University and is currently an ABD (all but dissertation) Ph.D. candidate at Howard University where her interests are United States/Public History with a focus on the history of the African American Community of Alexandria during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Professionally, Hawkins is a senior producer with UDC-TV and for almost 20 years was the producer and host of “UDC Books,” one of the country’s longest running book shows. She is also VP and Executive Producer of Koalaty Entertainment, a full-service narrative and documentary film production company. She has been married to Rodney Hawkins, owner of Washington Technology Group, for 35 years.
Cheryl and Impact100 DC member Carole Mumin are working together with the Mayor’s Office to hopefully produce a TV show featuring the non-profits who receive Impact100 DC’s support. She noted that she loved that Impact100 DC shared its funding beyond the $100,000 award with other finalists and featured their work. She hopes that a TV/media coverage will provide yet another way to be impactful.
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