Dr. Calynn Lawrence: The Mental Health Activist Who Champions Systemic Change and Holistic Treatment for Underserved Communities
Dr. Calynn Lawrence is a prominent humanitarian, social entrepreneur and media personality from Chicago, IL. She is the CEO of the Calynn Communications & Creative corporation, a 23x award winning media firm that serves as the parent company to several of her ventures such as (but not only):
- The Holistic Healing Source for Marginalized Society – a world record breaking virtual resource center with a treasure trove of free content ranging from their popular library of self help e-books, a variety of professional trainings for people who want in-depth, evidence-backed information to improve their repertoire as a human services worker, advocacy presentations, a directory of national nonprofit organizations that have life saving services and more.
- The Fresh Faces Project – a nonprofit initiative that has benefitted over 1,000 creatives, business owners, and public figures with free and extremely discounted events and press opportunities.
- Various Online Publications – Dr. Lawrence owns a portfolio of numerous specialized magazines, blogs and newspapers with a 7-digit readership including The World Times, What’s Good Weekly, Millionaires In The Making, Icons In The Now, As Told By Calynn M. Lawrence and more. They prioritize telling stories that center marginalized populations, as this is a critical gap that Dr. Lawrence observed in her many years as a freelance journalist for tens of media outlets.
Education and Academic Credentials
Dr. Lawrence is a life-long learner with an insatiable love for education. A former Valedictorian, she cultivated this passion young as did many women in her family. Some of her credentials include:
- Doctorate in Pastoral/Faith-Based Counseling (International Institute of Faith Based Counseling)
- Master of Science in Management & Leadership (WGU, Honors Society)
- Bachelor of Science in Liberal Arts & Social Science (NAU, Summa Cum Laude, Honors Society)
- Globally Accredited Holistic Therapy Training Provider (The International Practitioners of Holistic Medicine Board)
- Board Certified Acute Traumatic Stress Specialist & Registered Professional Member (American Academy of Experts In Traumatic Stress)
- Board Certified Religious Trauma Specialist (Global Center for Religious Research)
- Board Certified Clinical Trauma Specialist (Trauma Institute International)
She is also currently pursuing her Master of Science in Criminal Justice and Public Administration to expand her reach within legal system reform, a cause that is near and dear to her heart.
Digital Activism and Community Leadership
Aside from her entrepreneurial ventures and her 9 to 5 career in healthcare and education communications where she has worked at the national level in varying roles at large nonprofit organizations, Dr. Lawrence invests a lot of her time, talents and tools into philanthropic or public good endeavors. An avid community service enthusiast and former Miss World America Nation 2020 and Miss United States Universe Tourism 2021, she has dedicated thousands of hours and tens of thousands of dollars of her own money into financially and physically supporting organizations that make the world a better place.
Most recently, at age 29, she was officially elected to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Illinois Board of Directors as the Development (Fundraising) Chair at their 2025 annual conference. This was announced after she co-presented a highly rated session with her mother, Dawn Smith, and colleague, Jasmin Ford, “Bridging Experience and Innovation: Three Black Women’s Perspectives on Healing Justice and Liberation in Marginalized Communities.” The National Alliance on Mental Illness is the leading U.S. grassroots mental health organization that offers support, education, and advocacy for people with mental health conditions and their loved ones. NAMI Illinois alone has over 20 local affiliates, serving tens of thousands of residents. She plans to use her marcom skills and connections to enable NAMI Illinois to grow its funding through promotional campaigns and further execute its mission. Her passion is rooted in both her professional experience and personal experience as a suicide survivor and woman of color living with Major Depressive Disorder.
Making History As A Young Black Female Professional
Dr. Lawrence has made history a number of times before the age of 30. Some of her most notable moments include being the first person ever to be honored twice at the Influencer Magazine Awards as the Social Impact Champion of the Year, being the youngest to ever be honored with three Person of the Year Awards, starting one of the largest pro bono marketing agencies in the world (The Fresh Faces Project), being the youngest to win three Chicago Oscar Awards at once in 2018, and being the first African American woman added to The Global Book of Records by Grace Ladies Academy.