By Nyesha Stone
Some young women of Dream Kamp on one of their outings. (Photo courtesy of Danielle Williams)
Sometimes when we have a goal it’s not always easy to accomplish. No matter how hard you fight, it just seems like you’re getting nowhere. Then after a while you feel completely defeated and want to give up on everything… well that’s how Danielle Williams felt when she closed her daycare center.
Williams received a degree in childhood education in December of 2010, so she was sure children would be in her future. After five years of business, Williams said she shut down her daycare center from the lack of support, specifically from women.
That failure in Williams’s life caused for her to change her own perspective of thinking. Instead of being angry or giving up because one goal didn’t happen, she reached for and accomplished another.
Almost two years ago, Williams created a nonprofit to empower women to follow their dreams: Dream Keepers.
She created Dream Keepers to show women they can be successful and still support other women. Williams didn’t like the feeling of not having women on her side, so she tries her best to bring women and young girls together in a positive way.
Danielle Williams and Angela Simmons at one of the Dream Keepers’ events. (Photo courtesy by Danielle Williams)
“I want women to support me,” said Williams. “Happy girls are prettier.”
Dream Keepers has a membership fee of $50 or $100. With the first membership, members receive discounted prices for the events Williams organizes. The second membership, members receive more of a discount then the first group, a Dream Keepers’ t-shirt, and they’re able to attend meetings the first membership members cannot. Dream Keepers currently has 15 members.
Williams says she could be an event planner because of all the event she’s put together for her business—workshops, seminar, panels and more.
She considers her business an umbrella for women to come under for help, resources, networking and positivity.
Williams’s events bring women together to discuss different topics, such as success. Celebrities Yandy Smith and Angela Simmons have been guest speakers for separate Dream Keepers’ events. Both events had a panel of women business owners sharing ideas, opinions and their struggles and successes in life.
Dream Keepers isn’t just for women. On July 10, Dream Keepers will start their 3-week Dream Kamp program for young girls aged 12-18. From 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Williams, her team and the young women will enjoy either in workshops or outings, every day.
“We’re having fun while we’re learning,” said Williams.
Williams is the youngest of her siblings and although she had an older sister, she never had that close big sister/little sister relationship, which is why this camp is so important to her. She wants these young girls to grow up knowing they have someone to confine in and learn from.
When Williams’s daycare days ended, she moved to Houston, but she’s constantly traveling to and from Milwaukee. She moved to Houston to start her modeling career which led her to re-brand herself. Williams had to sit down and really think of what type of model she wanted to be since she had children who were watching her every move. The connections she gained from modeling helped her get Dream Keepers off the ground. She also receives a lot of support from Running Rebels.
She hopes to make Dream Keepers a legacy that she can pass down to her kids. She wants them to understand it’s okay to accept failure.
“Sometimes bad things happen in life and that’s needed,” said Williams. “There’s always a silver lining.”