Lea Manningham was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1977. In the spring of 1993, Lea became a teen mom at 16. Rather than seeing the situation as a hindrance, she used it to fuel her dream. Lea attended Warner University, where she received her degree in Church and Ministry. In 2004, seeking better opportunities as a businesswoman, Lea Manningham and her two children relocated to Tampa, Florida. She had a dream and was ready for a change. She became the jack of all trades, working as an assistant manager at a furniture store, a law firm, a customer service representative, a bill collector, and a youth leader. Founded in 2009, built off faith and a dream, GIRLS OF THE WORLD INC. was first implemented in the Pasco Country Girls Juvenile Detention Center. Lea worked with hundreds of girls throughout Florida for three and a half years. This was the first time Lea could share her story and mentor girls. She helped her first mentee, Ikeisha Freeny, achieve three long-term goals within three months of being released from jail. These include achieving her high school diploma and job and enrolling in Paul Mitchell cosmetology school. After seeing how her story changed lives in Pasco County, she wanted to spread that inspiration to the inner city she grew up in. In 2013, Lea moved back to her hometown of Cleveland, Ohio. She started her program in the inner city at the Glenville Recreation Center, which she attended when she was younger.
She shared, “I've always wanted to give back to teenage girls so they could learn from me and my experiences and know that no matter what happens in life, you can still follow your dreams.” The foundation of GIRLS OF THE WORLD INC. is to listen, educate, train, and mentally equip our girls with the knowledge, skills, and confidence they need to live productive and rewarding lives.
When Lea returned to Tampa in 2015, she began working with six young ladies who attended the local high school. Those six quickly grew to twelve. All those girls now attend college or are active in the military. The young ladies from the Cleveland chapter are now working moms. Since 2015, we have grown to 117 active members and continue to grow daily.
In 2022, we moved into its first brick-and-mortar in Apollo Beach. We've been featured on the news three times and had eight newspaper articles written about us. We've received the 2024 Queen of Hearts Community Award from the Tampa Alumni Chapter of Delta Sigma, Theta Sorority Inc., in honor of our educational development.
We are hosting our 15th Anniversary Gala to celebrate our achievements throughout the years! This fundraiser will be an evening to remember, with food, music, dancing, prizes, special recognitions, and more! All proceeds collected will go towards furthering our initiatives so we can continue to support our girls while investing in and growing our organization.
Become an event sponsor, buy general admission tickets, purchase ad space, or make a general donation TODAY!
Thank you to everyone who has believed in our mission, supported us throughout our journey, and helped us get to where we are today. We could not have made it this far without you.
OCTOBER 5, 2024
5 PM - 9 PM
KINGS POINT | 1900 CLUBHOUSE DRIVE, SUN CITY, FL 33573
Please note:
GIRLS OF THE WORLD INC.
300 Frandorson Circle, Suite 3118, Apollo Beach, FL 33572
Copyright © 2009-2023 GIRLS OF THE WORLD, INC. - All Rights Reserved.
501(c)(3) Nonprofit, Tax I.D 42-1668793
We are hosting our 15th Anniversary Gala to celebrate our achievements throughout the years! This fundraiser will be an evening to remember, with food, music, dancing, prizes, special recognitions, and more!