At Raleigh Founded, we celebrate a Member of the Month for their outstanding dedication to our core values. These members are not only successful entrepreneurs and business leaders but are recognized for their positivity, kindness, and the meaningful ways they uplift our community. They go above and beyond, offering support to fellow members and contributing to the collaborative spirit that defines Raleigh Founded.

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In this series, we’re excited to chat with each of our Members of the Month to hear what they love most about Founded and what makes this community so special to them!

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First up we have Cheffy Lewis, who is the founder of Devize Creative and a long time Founded member! 

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Which Founded core value resonates with you the most?

The core value that resonates with me the most is to be authentic. I strive to be my most authentic self at all times. I've learned that showing up as my most authentic self provides me with so much freedom in it and I don’t have to worry about having to put on a certain persona for you. I can just be me. Whether you like it or not, that’s not my task.

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What is a win you are proud of this year?

A win I am proud of this year is being able to work on the graphic for the Kickball For A Cause t-shirts. I’m proud of this because it was another way to get back and have fun doing some illustration since I don't get to do that a lot these days for projects. It's been fun to collaborate with other designers on this project and see our blended designs come to life.

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Name one thing about the Founded community that you appreciate!

I appreciate the Founded community’s willingness to be there for one another, always lending a helping hand in whichever way we can. It’s really great and you can see a community coming together and supporting one another through thick and thin. 

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What community cause or charities have you been involved in lately? This can be here at Founded or beyond!

A community cause I’ve been partaking in has been spending a lot of time providing love and care to the community garden here at Raleigh Founded’s North Street location. Harvesting, adding nutrients, and removing weeds, and I’ve been able to do this alongside the lovely Brittaney Robinson-Whitenhall, a true plant connoisseur. I have a passion for cooking so being able to grow crops that others and I can actually take home and use has been a rewarding experience. 

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Who would you nominate next for Member of the Month?

I would nominate Justin Case Condor, the man, the myth, the legend. Justin is the life of the party, always a great time to be around, a very genuine, very authentic human and he definitely deserves it. 

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A huge thank you to Cheffy for chatting with us. If you want to learn more about him and his work, check out his website here!  

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Are you a Founded member that wants to nominate a member of the month? Reach out to our team in the #general or your location’s Slack channel, telling us who and why!