Mahogany Kids Fine Arts Foundation empowers youth through art

2020 was supposed to be the year Kiva Williams returned to the workforce after five years as a stay-at-home mom. She was turning 40 and ready to reclaim her professional identity. Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and everything changed.

“2020 was a rough year,” Williams says. “I’m sure you remember where you were when COVID came down.”

That universal moment forced the world to stop and Williams to refocus on fulfilling her life’s purpose and pursuing her passion. In 2021, she formed the nonprofit Mahogany Kids Fine Arts Foundation to empower minority youth through art, music, and dance.

Long before she considered forming a nonprofit, Williams organized museum visits, cultural outings, and conversations about Black history for neighborhood kids. 

“I was doing it anyway, but now it’s like, ‘You know what? Let’s make this official,’” she says.

Her background shaped the foundation’s direction. She studied dance in college before spending 15 years in corporate finance, experiences that taught her both creative discipline and practical realities. 

“Having experienced both made me hungry to give these kids an avenue,” Williams says. “I know what it’s like to not pursue what you want, but being in the real world and being mature, you have to pay your bills. I know what that looks like, but also still being passionate about something outside of that.”

At the heart of her work, Williams helps children find their voices and build self-confidence and self-esteem. She remembers doubting herself as a child, despite talent and training, and wants something different for the youth the foundation reaches. Williams wants to give them experiences like last October, when she took a set of dancers to perform at USF and the kids learned what it feels like to be on stage in front of an audience.

Mahogany Kids serves children ages three through 18 through community programs and school partnerships. Since 2021, more than 500 children have participated. 

“It means a lot because we are passionate about what we do,” Williams says. “We continuously try to create programs that we think are beneficial and that have a lasting impression.”

The programs are shaped by her deep connections to Tampa’s creative and food communities. Williams is a food blogger who regularly gets to meet different restaurant owners, and go to different tastings. 

“When I experience that, I want to pass this opportunity on to my students,” she says.

One signature experience is a cultural field trip to the Ybor City’s Columbia Restaurant during Hispanic Heritage Month. Students tour the historic space, learn its story, sample traditional dishes, and watch the flamenco dancers. Williams says the kids love the experience and that makes her want to keep coming back with new groups of students.

Cultural education is a core pillar of the foundation’s work. Williams says as a parent and business owner she sometimes encounters situations where “things feel like our culture is either being erased or watered down.” Williams understands you can’t rely solely on institutions to fill that gap. 

“I want to make sure I’m getting opportunities where we can celebrate,” she says. “We can come together as a community but also celebrate our differences and just be proud of who we are and where we come from.”

Funding remains the organization’s biggest challenge, particularly when Williams wants to ensure access for entire grade levels, not just a few students. She recalls taking 100 fifth graders from a Title I school to see “The Lion King” at the Straz Center. That showed her the impact arts education can have on students, especially those who’d never been to a performing arts venue like the Straz.

Support, she notes, extends beyond donations. Spreading the word about everything the foundation does in the community, inviting the organization to conduct a self-esteem workshop at a local school, or sharing a cultural experience all help.

Williams says one of her most meaningful initiatives is a partnership with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office to mentor incarcerated teens through the arts. In 2024, the group painted a mural together.

“They made a mistake, but we’re telling them, ‘Hey, your life isn’t over. There is a way to turn it around’…It really tugs at your heartstrings when you go in there and speak with them,” she says. 

Williams hopes to expand this work across Florida and beyond, creating more opportunities for previously incarcerated juveniles to be seen, supported, and encouraged through creative expression.

“I really like working with teens who are incarcerated and giving them that hope that they have a second chance in life,” she says. “‘I know you got here through bad circumstances, but, hey, we are here to show compassion to you.’ And we use the arts as a way to communicate and get them to open up to us.”

Mahogany Kids Fine Arts Foundation is built on the belief that creativity can change a child’s life. For Williams, the work is about opening doors, expanding imagination, and reminding young people of what is possible.

For more information, go to Mahogany Kids Fine Arts Foundation