Majesty
Kiara and Joi first met in 6th grade and absolutely HATED each other! But one year later they became best friends and formed the "Elite 3" with Nicole! These three have been inseparable ever since. Kiara and Joi attended the same middle and high schools and literally watched each other grow up. In high school they even won the "Best Friends" superlative their senior year. In college the two parted ways, when Joi headed off to Spelman College to pursue medicine and Kiara stayed in Maryland to attend UMD College Park. Fast forward to 2021 and Kiara is "TiTi" to Joi's 3 beautiful kids (and her dog, Cash) and inspired daily by the woman, wife, and mother that Joi is. We love Joi for answering all of our holistic health questions, always meeting us on the dance floor, and her bomb mac & cheese!
Majesty
Kiara and Nicole met in 5th grade where they went to school together and shared the same babysitter. The two quickly became best friends and have been going strong ever since. Though they physically parted ways in high school, attending schools only a neighborhood apart, they hung out pretty much every weekend and attended almost all of each other's homecoming dances and proms. In college, Nicole headed off to Ithaca College in New York and then began traveling around the world. Together, Kiara, Nicole, and Joi (the Elite 3) have traveled the world and are excited for their next adventures together. Kiara is constantly in awe of Nicole's adventurous spirit, creative mind, and her amazing sense of humor. We love Nicole for her wanderlust, her green thumb, and her awesome sandals.
Majesty
Kiara and Crystal met in 2016 at the Free the Cheeks twerk class in Oakland, CA. They bonded quickly over their love for twerking and soon realized they also shared similar personalities, likes/dislikes, quirks, and sense of humor. Now, they lovingly call each other “Twin” and you would be hard pressed to not find them cutting up and dancing whenever you see them together. Kiara and Crystal have also been able to witness and support each other’s healing journeys over the last five years. Evolve and Kiara are excited to expand their TiTi and ZiZi hood and welcome Crystal’s new baby, Jellybean, into the mix in August! We love Crystal for her amazing laugh, her twerk skills and her powerful ability to speak things into existence!
Monarch
Evolve and Rachelle first met in 2012 at the BLU retreat in Malibu, CA. They connected over their love for music, poetry and spirituality. In 2019, Rachelle utilized her gift and love for music to produce the soundtrack for Evolve's first book SIR. From halloween parties in Las Vegas to conversations about entrepreneurship, Evolve can count on Rachelle to not only bring the fun but also her wise words. We love Rachelle for her amazing taste in music, wisdom, website development skills, and solid friendship.
Monarch
Evolve and Lex met in Washington, DC in 2006 at an LGBTQ HBCU Summit. Both amazing leaders and media creators, they linked up in Los Angeles, California. From traveling the United States capturing stories for their film the BOI Doc, enjoying the thrills of amusement parks and partaking in amazing meals together, their bond has been inseparable. We love Lex for his creative spirit, cooking skills and his heartfelt laughter.
Monarch
Lyric is Evolve’s younger sibling, not by blood but by bond. Evolve, met Lyric at Dillard University, during Evolve’s tenure as a freshmen orientation leader. From joining Evolve to pick out Kiara’s engagement ring to going to see Queen Beyonce, there’s not much these California bois haven’t enjoyed together. We love Lyric for dog-sitting Marley and Ashby, their humor and amazing friendship.
MONARCH
Evolve and Dana first met in New Orleans, LA during their time at Dillard University and quickly became inseparable- bonding over their shared love of Tupac Shakur, art, and old school R' n B! After driving over 10 hours from New Orleans, Louisiana to Dallas, Texas through Hurricane Katrina together and a 2-year stint as roommates, it's safe to say Dana knows Evolve better than anyone. We love Dana for her amazing style, huge heart, dance moves, and for making us godparents to our goddaughter, Koti!
Father of The Qing
Ray Benton is Evolve's dad. They met August 12th, 1986 in Los Angeles, CA, Ray is super supportive and told Evolve once, I get the best of both worlds with you, a sun and a daughter. They bond over their love for the Los Angeles Lakers, Evolve's Mom and cooking soul food. When Ray met Kiara he loved her fun spirit, that she was a Libra like him and her commitment to Evolve's happiness. We love Ray for his all white outfits, daily check ins, and being an amazing cook.
Father of The Queen
Paul is Kiara's dad. When Kiara was young, he worked several jobs to make sure Kiara had everything she needed and more. He taught Kiara how to drive in a H2 Hummer when she was 15 and taught her pretty much all of her cooking skills (Evolve is grateful for this). Paul wants his daughter to be loved and honored by her partner and is happy that she found Evolve to do just that. We love Paul for his silliness, his handiness, and his regular check ins with us about our toilet paper supply.
Mother of The Queen
Sherri is Kiara's mom. They met on Oct 15, 1989 in Washington, DC at Walter Reed Army Medical Hospital. Sherri is extremely supportive of Kiara. She has always made it a point to attend every sporting event, performance, and graduation/celebration Kiara has had over the years. Kiara and their mom share a love for pool time, traveling, and dogs. We love Sherri for her creativity, her weekly check ins, and loving energy. A special shout out to Sherri for her labor and creativity for the wedding!
In Memory " Mother of the Qing"
Martha is Evolve's late mother and continues to guides them powerfully in spirit. She was a nurse, a lover of Luther Vandross and Evolve's bestfriend. We know that she would have loved Kiara's yummy cooking, style, love for music and the way she loves Evolve. While she can't be with us on the day physically, we honor her always spiritually.