CEO Yvette Holmes Honored for Transformational Leadership at the 22nd Annual Harambee Women of Excellence Luncheon
We joined a celebration of phenomenal women last month at the 22nd Annual Harambee Women of Excellence Awards Luncheon presented by the Capital Area Section – National Council of Negro Women.
We were especially proud to congratulate our Southeast Raleigh Promise CEO Yvette Holmes, on receiving the inaugural Community Advocate Entrepreneur Award for her efforts as the leader of an innovative community-based organization. She was nominated by a Southeast Raleigh Promise Legacy Resident Ambassador in recognition of her impactful leadership and her commitment to advancing positive change shaped by resident voices.
Held at the Sheraton Imperial Raleigh-Durham Airport at Research Triangle Park, the luncheon embraced the theme: The Power of Her Voice: Leading, Lifting, and Transforming Communities.
Yvette joined three honorees whose powerful leadership continues to shape our communities:
• Lillian M. Davis – Health and Healing
• Erica Porter – Social Justice Champion
• Dr. Mariah Walker – Star in STEAM
The keynote speaker for the event was Aleta Howell, Cisco’s Senior Director, Global Talent Strategy. Howell has worked with business leaders to guide business strategy for more than 20 years.
Yvette was joined by members of the Southeast Raleigh Promise team, the organization’s Legacy Resident Ambassadors, and members of the Rock Quarry Road Corridor Small Business Alliance founded by Southeast Raleigh Promise under Yvette’s leadership. Her two daughters-in-law and three granddaughters also celebrated the accomplishment alongside her.
Founded by Mary McLeod Bethune, NCNW’s legacy reminds us that courage, conviction, and community advocacy are transformative forces.
Accepting the honor, Yvette’s remarks reflected on the legacy inherited from Bethune, and the importance of embracing the responsibility to carry it forward. “We gather today as legacy beneficiaries of her unmatched courage and determination,” she said, later urging, “… continue to use the power of your voice to lead, lift, and transform communities.”
Through Southeast Raleigh Promise, Yvette continues to advance Raleigh/Wake County’s first Purpose Built Community national model along the Rock Quarry Road corridor. She connects partners and galvanizes resources to create pathways to opportunity in housing, education, health, and economic vitality.
What a salute to all of the 2026 honorees whose service embodies the true spirit of Harambee in Swahili: “all pull together”! As we celebrate Black history beyond the month of February, and recognize March as Women’s History Month, we’re honored to celebrate excellence, sisterhood, and the power of women’s voices year-round.
