Quire’s 2025 Honor Roll
Quire would like to present its 2025 Honor Roll! We want to celebrate those who are spreading light in their communities and shout them out to you. Celebrating the people we see doing good throughout their communities is an important part of any community. These are people and organizations that are changing narratives, exemplifying extraordinary leadership, bringing new perspectives into Birmingham and beyond. Their work is well worth a spot on Quire’s 2025 Honor Roll.
This year Quire has chosen a diverse group to recognize on our honor roll.
The Skillman Foundation works to provide opportunities and platforms for the youth of Detroit in forwarding their education experience. Angelique Power, the President and CEO of The Skillman Foundation, has led the organization since 2021. In recent months, The Skillman Foundation has put out thoughtful and directed newsletters about current events relating it directly to their work and what they do. Ms. Power is a phenomenal example of living the mission and holding up the banner during difficult times. The organization is deeply committed to Detroit youth and creates spaces for them to serve as grantmakers and as influential advocates of education policy change.
The Women’s Foundation of Alabama is reshaping the future of women’s economic opportunity. Through groundbreaking research, bold public policy advocacy, and transformative philanthropy, they invest in the people, projects, and ideas that dismantle barriers and open doors for women across Alabama. Recently, the Women’s Foundation has helped push forward a bipartisan policy of paid family leave. This bill allows state employees and teachers paid leave after a birth, stillbirth, or miscarriage, providing eight weeks for women and two weeks for men. This historic shift has marked a step forward in supporting women and strengthening families throughout Alabama. Beyond policy they are making real-time interventions that are powering their momentum, like the Advancing Alabama Childcare Accelerator which provides training, coaching and funding to support child care business owners. They are also growing partnerships with community colleges to open workforce pathways for women statewide.
Husband and wife entrepreneurship team Lemar and Tiffany Storey have 3 businesses between them: Life Touch Massage, Storeyhouse Counseling and Consulting, and The Olive Branch Mind and Body Suite. Life Touch Massage and Storeyhouse Counseling are aimed at promoting the health and wellness of the community at an affordable cost, with a specific focus on people of color. The Olive Branch Mind and Body Suite aims to give support to entrepreneurs while they are running and developing their own businesses. Both founders strive to create safe spaces for entrepreneurs and people of color who need support in the Birmingham area, and hope to help others prioritize their health and wellness.
Team Spirit Award:
This year, Quire has chosen to grant the Team Spirit award to the Graduating Class of 2025. This class has experienced every aspect of a COVID-impacted world and despite it all has still made it through college– a difficult thing in and of itself. These are the kids that experienced COVID through high school and had to learn an entirely new landscape when entering college. And throughout it all, they have achieved great things. The award also gives us a chance to thank and cheer for our interns this year, Ellie Albrecht and Xavier McCory, both of whom graduate from UAB this month. Thank you for being part of our team this year!
