Meet Mama Racheal
She is a servant leader and social entrepreneur in early childhood care, as well as a seasoned Wall Street fintech executive with over 25 years of experience. Racheal is also a published author and passionate Sunday School teacher.
The Mama in Me
In 2011, I said to Dom, my then husband; “when Devin starts middle school, I am taking a step back from my high-flying career and being a Mom first, they will really need me then.” He agreed. Late in 2012, Dom returned to a corporate job. 5 months later, our plan took a 360 turn. Dom had a stroke, Devin was 9, Reece was 5. I became the only breadwinner and a caregiver at 39. Our lifestyle wasn’t cheap!
2 years later, I became a premature widow—just the opposite of what we had planned. I now had to be Mom and Dad, Wall Street Technology Executive, Family Business Owner, eventual MBA student, Author, and Community Servant. My boys, who were growing into young men, suffered silently having lost both parents for several years: Dom to death, me to work, securing our future and my grief. Thanks to God, family, our village, and au pairs, we made it through a very dark time in our lives. I hid my grief, cried in the shower and did my best to show strength whilst balancing too many balls. In 2017, I started my healthy grieving process culminating with the release of my first book in 2019; dedicated to caregivers, Hold Me ‘til my River Jordan.
Since then, I’ve focused on healthy grieving, quality time with my sons—dancing, cooking, teaching Sunday school, traveling, boating, reading, gardening and cheering them on loudly and behind the scenes as they become men.
If nothing else comes of it, I finally get to be Mom first! As my sons have grown, they have helped me heal! They are teaching me to truly listen and meet them where they are, not where I wish they’d be. What Ya Mama Didn’t Tell Ya, our podcast is going to bind you and us together tighter than ever—real, raw parent-to-young-adult conversations that happen less and less these days. A little tough love, a little heart, and a whole lot of truth…
This will be our legacy of love—conversations we skipped but that it’s never too late to have. It’s generational: if my kids don’t benefit, my grandkids will. Journey with us and grab a nugget or two. Grab some coffee, some tea; as we wrap Mama’s advice in funny, real conversations!
Tech-Savvy Board Mama
Who knew I would be techie! I got college degrees in Management and Political Science. Then I got hired by Andersen Consulting! Next thing I knew I was coding in C in 3 weeks. 20 years later, 17-years at the New York Stock Exchange, I led a global team measuring trading critical systems in microseconds around the world.
The fun continued as I led Global Technology Strategy at $4B fintech. 2 years later I joined a startup as COO where I have been privileged to advise the White House Office of the National Cyber Director on cyber workforce development education, collaborating with corporations and premier educational institutions.
I serve on several corporate and non-profit boards, while currently learning more about AI and crypto.
Bird Boat Mama
If you know me, you know I LOVE the Philadelphia Eagles! Go BIRDS!! WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS!!!
For Devin, I have become a Knicks Fan. We’re working on Reece hoping we can all share one team as a family. Can you guess what Devin and Reece’s teams are? Check out their pages and find out! Sports in our household is always LIT!
Mama’s Edumacation
I am a proud Rutgers University alumni. I adore and hold an MBA from my most recent alma mater, Oxford University’s Saïd Business School, where I was named an Oxford Forté Fellow and We Are The City’s Inspirational Woman.
Servant Leader Mama
Along the way, I learned that one of the best ways to heal was to help others. My faith has guided me every step of the way – I love Jesus and still lead Sunday School whenever I can! With some urging, I co-founded the Grief2Hope bereavement ministry and wrote Hold Me ’Til My River Jordan, my page turning memoir dedicated to 45 million+ caregivers. The book sheds light on the emotional, physical, financial, and spiritual toll caregiving takes. From that came our family’s beloved non-profit, The Ruth & Isaac Project, committed to illuminating and supporting the often-invisible struggles of caregivers. Caregiving? Listen to my free YouTube series, The Life of a Caregiver.
A portion of the proceeds from my book supports caregivers—the unsung heroes who hold families together in times of crisis.
Other causes I’m passionate about, HIV prevention in Africa, teaching financial literacy to underserved youth, and the Dominic K. A. Fosu Visionary Fund, making something good of what was bad for us. We have awarded nearly $60,000 in college scholarships.
WHEW! Mama’s got a lot she can download and her men have a lot to add!
