OUR FOUNDERS
Tamika Shannon
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B.S. Health Care Management
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M.A. Community Counseling
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National Certified Counselor
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Licensed Associate Professional Counselor
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Team member since 2015
Atlanta, Georgia native, Tamika Shannon, one half of the founders of NxtUP, didn’t always have it easy. Growing up in a household where both parents were victims of alcoholism and drug addiction, Tamika did not always receive the support of her parents as her peers. Her faith in God, zeal for life, and “motivation” from naysayers prompted her to focus on education, success and helping others who come from backgrounds similar to her own. Understanding that it takes a village to raise a child, Tamika began working with the Georgia Teen Work Program, through the Department of Family and Children Services, where she discovered the need for more professionals devoted to helping young people.
Tamika graduated from Clayton University in Morrow, GA with a degree in Health Care Management and continued her education at Argosy University, where she earned a Masters in Community Counseling and is a Licensed Associate Professional Counselor. Accrediting Maya Angelou’s integrity and selflessness with impacting her career path, Tamika is setting the foundation to develop a counseling practice for family therapy, in addition to a transitional home for juvenile delinquents. Before attending Clayton State, Tamika attended Valdosta State University with long-time friend and co-founder, Ebony Chaney, which proved to be the start of something great.
Ebony Chaney
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B.S. Psychology
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M.S. Human Service
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Team member since 2015
A Newport News, Virginia native but Atlanta raised, Ebony Chaney’s life was the polar opposite—her family was very close and supportive, but didn’t always have the means to extend their hands to others outside of relatives. Ebony aspired for her family to understand the importance of serving others and adopted the Mahatma Gandhi quote, “Be the change you want to see in the world,” as her mantra. With limited college preparation, as a freshman at Valdosta State University, Ebony changed her major several times before settling on a final major—one thing she wishes she could change.
Realizing what she could have done differently and how it could have impacted her future, Ebony understood her calling was to help others find their purpose in life so that they would not have to endure some of the struggles she did as a college student. An alumna of Troy University, Ebony obtained her degree in Psychology where she pours encouragement and guidance into the lives of others.