Sevetri Monique Wilson – Signature

Baton Rouge-born NBA star Tyrus Thomas recently received the prestigious national Jefferson Award as the Outstanding Athlete as a Newcomer in Service and Philanthropy for creating and developing the C.A.T.C.H. program—Caring and Actively Teaching Children Hope.

But behind the scenes, his foundation’s CEO, Sevetri Wilson, was instrumental in making the program a success.

Most people don’t know that C.A.T.C.H. is an offshoot of an idea Wilson had in college for a mentoring program she hoped to implement in public schools. “I feel that it was ‘divine intervention’ that Tyrus came to me with this concept and C.A.T.C.H. was born,” Wilson says.

Only 24, she’s already a veteran in community service. In fact, she recently opened Solid Ground Innovations, a non-profit consulting and development firm that focuses on “Sports Philanthropy, Community Organizing and Corporate Responsibility.” Her current client list includes two professional athletes (Thomas and Sinorice Moss, wide receiver for the New York Giants), four public non-profits and two private foundations. Wilson also has experience in working with public officials, most recently with the first Baton Rouge CSI camp for inner-city youth.

Age: 24

Hometown: Hammond

Occupation: Founder and lead community consultant for Solid Ground Innovations LLC and CEO of Tyrus

If Wilson seems driven, it’s for good reason: she lost her father to a massive heart attack when she was 7 years old, and her mother died of cancer when Sevetri was 22. Close to graduating at LSU, she was devastated, and, she could easily have turned negative. She didn’t.

“Even in death my parents’ spirit inspires me,” she says.

She’s turned those tragedies into a dedication to serving others. “I am passionate about helping people,” she says. “I want to create programs and community initiatives that really impact lives, change communities and progress not only our state and our country, but the whole world.”

For more information, visit Solid Ground Innovations at sgicares.com or on Twitter at @sgicares.