Known as the “Olivia Pope of Silicon Valley” (Forbes), Jotaka has spent more than two decades driving policy change, advancing civil rights, and building power for communities at the intersections of race, gender, and technology. She has led national campaigns, advised Fortune 500 leaders, helped secure historic voting rights wins, and founded the viral movement #WinWithBlackWomen, which mobilized millions and played a pivotal role in electing the first Black woman Vice President.

But before the national spotlight, Jotaka was a South Carolina trailblazer.

As a student at the University of South Carolina, she made history as the first Black woman ever elected Student Body President not just at USC, but at any college or university in the state. She also helped lead the student-driven fight for the removal of the Confederate flag from the State House dome, proving early on what she continues to embody today: courageous leadership rooted in justice, strategy, and community.

Jotaka returns home to South Carolina to recharge our movement, remind us of what’s possible, and help us imagine the next decade of powerful, people-led change.