About Us
Our Team
Board of Directors
Airielle Dotson
Founder and Executive Director
For the longest time, Airielle was afraid to share her story of growing up in poverty and witnessing her father battle and eventually lose his life to drug addiction. As she got older, she realized there was power in telling your story and motivating others to share theirs.
Airielle knew she wanted to create a community for young adults to feel empowered and heard. In June 2019, she asked her dearest friends Jenie Hannah, Nathaniel Spehr, and Leah DeShon to join her in founding Core Legacy.
Nathan Spehr
Founder
Nathan was raised by his single father and grew up in a trailer on the south side of Columbus. His mom has a few disabilities and was homeless for most of his childhood. Many of Nathan’s neighbors watched out for him while he was growing up, which led him to truly believe that it takes a village to raise a child.
Nathan graduated from The Ohio State University in 2011 with a Bachelors of the Arts in International Studies and minors in Russian and General Business. Currently, he is a coach for a team at a financial company and takes care of his parents. Nathan would love to return to school to earn a Masters in Public Administration or Non-Profit Management.
Jenie Hannah
Founder and Director of Operations
Jenie was raised primarily by a single mother who struggled with mental illness most of her life. She didn’t understand any of that until she was older and spent a lot of time as a child thinking life wasn’t fair. She often found herself helping to take care of her sister and things around the house.
Jenie is currently working as a WFM-Team Lead for a large retail company and is pursuing her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Nonprofit Management. She enjoys traveling, cooking, baking, and learning new things. She has a strong passion for volunteer work and has always seen the good in the world.
Leah DeShon
Founder
Leah grew up in what became a single parent household. With her older sister to guide and sometimes tease her, and her cousins down the block, Leah always had love and support. She watched as several family members dealt with addictions, some of them overcoming the disease while others gave in and stayed in that lifestyle.
Leah looks at every situation as a possibility to learn and improve. She enjoys the possibilities in life and finds immense pleasure in seeing others enjoy life. She has a certificate in dog training and one day will work with overly enthusiastic dogs who need an outlet for their creative energies. Currently Leah works at a dog daycare, because even our furry family needs friends and fun!
Darlene Rogers
Treasurer
JC Morgan
Board Member
Megan Phillips
Marketing Chair
Megan is the founder of Megan Phillips LLC, a social media marketing agency & mom of three located in Columbus, Ohio. Megan is passionate about community, supporting others in need, and personal growth. She believes that all people deserve the chance to succeed and loves an underdog story and believes that above all else, kindness is the best policy.
Nakai Willis
Curriculum Chair
Nakai Willis is a Texas & DMV transplant that originally moved to Columbus 20 years ago. Her personal and professional focus has consistently revolved around the BIPOC community and her core values of collaboration, cultural competence, and financial empowerment. She considers herself privileged to be able to contribute to the teen experience for the greater Columbus area as a part of The Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Ohio. Before taking her position as the Director of Career & Workforce Readiness with BGCCO, she made a name for herself professionally with successes in the nonprofit sector and as a small business owner. She remains dedicated to the meaningful work of empowering and educating underserved communities in areas of ownership, financial literacy, social impact, and entrepreneurship. When she isn’t working or volunteering you can find her riding her bike, traveling or hanging out with her family.