Sometimes the road you start on isn't the road you have to stay on.

Taneisha N. Smith, Ed.S., is the Founder and Executive Director of D.E.T.T.O.U.R. A lifelong St. Paul community member, educator, licensed K–12 school administrator, and U.S. military veteran, Taneisha brings more than a decade of experience serving youth, families, and school communities. Her professional journey has included leadership as a teacher, dean, assistant principal, and principal.

Taneisha’s commitment to youth is also deeply personal. Her own experiences navigating adversity as a young person shaped her belief that circumstances and trauma should never define a young person’s potential. Guided by her personal philosophy, “Be to them who they are missing,” she founded D.E.T.T.O.U.R. to create the relationships, opportunities, resources, and experiences she believes every young person deserves.

Through D.E.T.T.O.U.R., Taneisha leads with a relationship-centered approach focused on helping youth discover their strengths, develop resilience, build confidence, and recognize their ability to positively impact their families and communities. Her leadership is grounded in D.E.T.T.O.U.R.’s mission: to replace trauma with empowerment to reach excellence.

Javon Massie is a dedicated mother and community advocate with a passion for helping young people recognize their strengths, build confidence, and understand their potential. Her own life experiences have shaped a deep appreciation for resilience, perseverance, and the power of having someone in your corner who believes in you—even during the moments when you may struggle to believe in yourself.

Javon stands with D.E.T.T.O.U.R. because she believes a young person’s current circumstances should never determine their future. She is committed to encouraging youth to discover their strengths, develop leadership skills, and continue moving forward when life takes an unexpected turn. Her message to every young person is simple: “Your story is still being written. Make it powerful.”

Charles Coleman is a longtime St. Paul youth and community advocate with deep roots in the Rondo community and years of experience working within St. Paul schools and in community-based violence prevention. His work centers on interrupting cycles of violence by helping young people develop the emotional regulation, conflict-resolution, and resilience skills needed to navigate life’s challenges.

Charles is equally committed to empowering caregivers, recognizing that strong families are essential to creating lasting change for youth. Charles stands with D.E.T.T.O.U.R. because he believes resilience is a superpower—and when youth and caregivers are equipped with the tools to manage emotions, navigate conflict, and move through adversity with purpose, entire families and communities become stronger.

Emmanuel “Bayo” Ifonlaja is a Saint Paul Public Schools educator with a passion for empowering young people to recognize their potential and take ownership of their futures. As a Black male educator, Bayo understands the importance of youth having positive representation, meaningful relationships, and trusted adults who see their strengths.

He brings an educator’s perspective to D.E.T.T.O.U.R., with a focus on youth development, academic growth, confidence, and resilience. Bayo rocks with D.E.T.T.O.U.R. because he believes resilience is the ultimate cheat code. His goal is to help young people build the tools and mindset to bounce back from life’s challenges, level up, stand on business, and ultimately write their own success stories.

Danisa Farley leads D.E.T.T.O.U.R.’s community partnerships and special initiatives, helping strengthen the relationships and opportunities that support youth and families.