Age: 39

Job: Director of engagement and communications, Yellow; TV host/producer

At work: At Yellow, I am responsible for overseeing local and national partnerships, curating local and national engagements, creating and hosting our Bright Sparks Live monthly panel conversations and leading all things forward-facing for the organization. From running all of Yellow’s social media platforms to writing press releases and unique messaging internally or externally, it’s my responsibility to create both visibility and coverage for our nonprofit. As the CEO of Dream Pusher, I lead media relations for festivals, events or individual brands. I am also a host, producer and moderator for various local and national television networks and media outlets.

Home and family: I live in Norfolk with my beautiful 6-year-old daughter Aria. Originally, I am from Chester, but I have spent every summer since I was 7 here in Hampton Roads visiting my grandparents as my mom and dad are from Norfolk and Chesapeake, respectively.

Volunteer activities: I spend a lot of time mentoring young girls, especially those in college. It’s not lost on me that I was once a young girl in college trying to figure it out with no one around me who was doing what I wanted to do. Therefore, I invest and volunteer my time by working with and being present for the next generation, which includes doing empowerment workshops, one-on-one training, or just being an advocate to propel them to the next level with an opportunity.

Motivating factor: Knowing what I want to do is possible, but also demonstrating to other women that “IT” — whatever your “IT” is — is in fact possible. I’m a true believer of “if you can visualize it, it can happen.” I’m motivated to do what I’ve been called to do because someone in the next generation is depending on the obedience in me executing my dreams.

Advice to young people: Stay the course. It can be so challenging, looking left and right, seeing what everyone else is doing and not feeling like you’re adequate or you’re too much, but knowing that you’re pursuing everything with integrity will make the journey much more worthwhile. Don’t let your actions and desires lead you to a place where your character cannot sustain you.

Professional goal in five years: I’d like to have my company Dream Pusher be operated by a group of young women of color. I will be the host of a national/global television show. And I will be producing introspective and impactful digital content for the current and next generation of young girls.

The one thing I’d change about Hampton Roads: I’d like to see this area be more welcoming of media creatives as a professional career. There are so many aspects to working in media, and I think this area can do a better job of supporting those in nontraditional media careers. I know we can make Hampton Roads a national hub for media junkets, press stops, movie premieres and more.

Region’s biggest asset: Its ability to do both big and small things that are notable. For example, we have two HBCUs in the area — one of which is my alma mater Hampton University — and while enrollment isn’t as large as other schools around the country, the impact these students are leaving in their respective career fields is recognized globally. We also put on national festivals that receive global attention; smaller in scale in comparison to larger cities, but more notable in terms of sustainable impact.

Downtime: I really enjoy working out — Pilates and running — and while that’s not considered my “free time,” that’s a part of a routine I’ve created for myself that helps me relax. Most of my travel is for work, but I do enjoy sneaking some time in these trips to try new vegan restaurants or see sights. Relaxing for me is spending time with people I care about — doesn’t matter if it’s at home on the couch or laying out on a beach vacation.

What really gets under my skin: Bad grammar, especially in written form. My seventh grade English teacher taught me to read for errors first, so I find grammatical errors in books, magazines, etc., and it really irks me.

https://www.dailypress.com/2025/10/27/top-forty-under-40-2025-stephanie-l-sutton/