1ST YOUTH EXPLOSION

Spring Forward

LIFE, LEADERSHIP & SERVICE

Welcome to
the 1st Youth Explosion!

The 2024 Youth Explosion conference will focus on Life, Leadership & Service. This program is targeted at boys and girls ages 12-18 years. Our aim is to begin to prepare and raise well-rounded young men and women to reach their goals and to become future leaders, as we pass them the baton to be the next level change agents in our community and world. The Youth Explosion conference is a life changing opportunity and a transformational program designed to equip and empower our next generation of transformational leaders.

Our Host

Pastor Bola Adepoju

As the Chairman and CEO of Woman on Purpose, Inc., Pastor Bola Adepoju feels that she has found the perfect fit. “I believe that God called me and prepared me for this assignment as I look back on my life.” She identifies with the undeserved and cares enough to get out and reach out. She is not afraid to go into the trenches to pray and minister God's message of life and hope to those whose dreams have been dashed by misfortune. She says, “I find joy in seeing the works of God's hands when He takes His people where He wants them to be – On Purpose”. Bola has overcome some challenging times in her own life and her experiences have made her faith even stronger and have led her to dedicate her life to helping others transform their circumstances, and discover God's unique plan of destiny for their lives. Prior to starting Woman on Purpose, Bola has partnered in pioneering several non-profit organizations. “I feel the opportunity to be part of a vision for transformational change in lives of people every day is a great responsibility and privilege, whether it is through motivating and empowering people to be more, or through the various outreach programs offered by the organization or restoring people to the saving knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ or stirring an urgency for people to discover their God-ordained destinies.”

Our Speakers

Terri Bashorun

Terri Bashorun, married to Oluwaseun Bashorun and a mother of two, Lawrence and Michelle, holds a bachelor's degree in communications, specializing in public relations. She is pursuing a master's degree in business administration. Terri currently serves as the youth pastor and musician at New Birth Christian Church in Conyers, under the leadership of Pastor Steve and Sheryl Jameson. Her passion lies in both her devotion to God and her commitment to youth engagement. Terri Bashorun not only excels in her academic pursuits and church responsibilities but also brings her vibrant energy to various community outreach programs. As a dedicated advocate for youth empowerment, she actively organizes events that foster personal and spiritual growth. Terri's unwavering commitment to God, her family and the community reflects her deep-rooted values and passion for making a positive impact in the lives of those around her.

Karen D. Sutton

Karen D. Sutton is a graduate of Tennessee State University and Washington University George Warren Brown School of Social Work and an independently licensed clinical social worker in the State of Georgia and Missouri. Ms. Sutton is a wholly committed clinician with more than 30 years of combined social welfare, direct practice and managed care experience. Ms. Sutton’s experience encompasses public and private sector service and her early professional years were primarily focused on the psychosocial well-being of children and adolescents. Ms. Sutton is concerned about the impact of trauma as related to child welfare and issues of grief/loss along with providing advocacy and community education about important social issues impacting the family. Currently, Ms. Sutton is employed full-time at Grady Hospital, as the Director of the forthcoming Center for Diversion and Services and maintains a private practice, Brighter Futures Now LLC, focused on mental health seminars, training and clinical supervision. Ms. Sutton was previously employed with UnitedHealth Group as a Clinical Program Manager, has worked in several local hospital psychiatric emergency settings (Grady, CHOA, Emory Eastside) and started her career with a Catholic Charities group home in St. Louis, MO and later transitioned to the life-altering position of Child Abuse & Neglect Investigator for the State of Missouri. Through her private practice, Ms. Sutton has provided the following parenting and community education trainings: Children & Anxiety, Is This Really Normal: Developmental Stages, Dealing with Adverse Childhood Experiences and Mental Health & Co-Occurring Disorders. Additionally, Ms. Sutton is a School of Social Work Adjunct Professor in the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies at Georgia State University. As a volunteer, Ms. Sutton has lent her time to advocating for the adult homeless population and child survivors of commercial sexual exploitation (also known as human sex trafficking). On a lighter note, Ms. Sutton endeavors to live fully and loves to travel to places that allow for full cultural immersion. Her personal quote is: “There’s NO substitute for experience………..so LIVE!”

Tiffany Ezeokonkwo

Tiffany is the founder and CEO of the Excel & Exhale E² platform. She founded E² on a personal burden to let go of anxious toil and begin embracing God's design for work and rest after her first-hand experience of the effects of neglecting this design. Her lack of clarity in identity, paired with an unhealthy perspective of excellence, led to a physical and emotional overextension of herself that resulted in an emergency room visit. At this turning point, she clearly heard "excel AND exhale" in her spirit. She realized working to exhaustion does not equate to excellence, and since then, she's been committed to embracing God's design for work and rest while empowering others to do the same. Tiffany is a mentor, host, and public speaker deeply passionate about serving underprivileged youth and mobilizing her generation to fulfill the impactful work they have been designed to do. She's been invited to speak and host workshops covering topics such as identity, eliminating burnout, maximizing your professional seasons, and more for high school, collegiate, and faith-based audiences. Tiffany is based in Atlanta, GA, and works as an IT Management Professional with experience in FinTech and EdTech. She earned a BBA in Computer Information Systems and is currently working towards an MBA at the Georgia Institute of Technology .