Stories that Shape Us with Nicole Lynn Lewis

Nicole Lynn Lewis is the founder and CEO of Generation Hope and an incredible leader in the fight against poverty and the stigma surrounding it. Her specific area of focus? Teen mothers.

You see, Nicole is a former teen mother herself, rocked by this sudden life change that upended her life at a young age. But she was able to rebound, to put herself through college with a three-month-old daughter along for the ride.

"... across higher education, about one in five undergraduate students across the country are parenting. It's almost five million students," she says. "It is an invisible population ... a population more likely to be women and women of color, particularly black women.”

Nicole decided to do something. She wrote a book, Pregnant Girl: A Story of Teen Motherhood, College, and Creating a Better Future for Young Families, and Generation Hope was born. It's a nonprofit dedicated to supporting teen parents and their children through mentorship, emotional support and guidance, and financial resources they need to thrive through college and kindergarten, a two-generation solution to poverty.

Nicole's story is amazing, inspiring, and challenging all at once. Join us and hear how her story truly shaped the future of this movement. Our deep thanks to Nicole for joining us on Mission Forward.

• (00:00) - Welcome to Mission Forward
• (02:26) - A Story that Launched a Movement
• (10:14) - Exploring Champions
• (13:18) - The Invisible Common
• (15:52) - Making the Story Real for Those who can Make Change
• (20:04) - Pressing Issues
• (23:03) - Moving Through Urgency, With Urgency, and not Against Urgency

What is Mission Forward with Carrie Fox?

Mission Forward: An award-winning podcast for communicators on a mission.

Hosted by social impact expert and B Corp leader Carrie Fox, each episode of Mission Forward explores the power of communications. With just the right mix of practical and thought-provoking content, we take on the issues that matter to you, and that support your work as a communicator for change.

Together, we talk through topics that you’re likely experiencing right now: from how to tackle tough conversations; to how to best challenge stereotypes; to how we can build bridges across the issues that divide us. If you’re working to become a more inclusive and thoughtful communicator, there’s nothing holding you back—except you.

About Season 11

What does it mean to stand at the threshold of change? To face a door that is both closing and opening at the same time? In Season 11 of Mission Forward, Carrie Fox invites us into that liminal space—the sacred and often unsettling pause between hello and goodbye. It is here, in the transitions, where the most important work of leadership—and of life—often takes place.

This season, you’ll meet people who have walked away from stability in pursuit of something more true. You’ll hear from those who said yes before they were ready, and in doing so, discovered new strength. And you’ll learn from leaders who chose to stay rooted, practicing presence and commitment in a culture that prizes constant movement.

These are stories not just about change, but about how we communicate through it—about the clarity, courage, and care required when our words and actions mark turning points. Because goodbyes are never just endings. Hellos are never just beginnings. And the space between them? That’s where possibility lives.

Hello. Goodbye. And the Space Between.

* About the Host (https://www.missionforward.us/about-carrie)
* Listen to Past Episodes (https://www.missionforward.us/episodes)