TALIAH GIVENS is an engineer turned youth and career development leader using her analytical education to solve the social-educational equations of today for K-12 through higher education sectors. Originally from Paterson, NJ, Ms. Givens completed bachelor’s degrees in both computer engineering and electrical engineering technology from the Georgia Institute of Technology and Alabama A&M University respectively with full support from national academic merit scholarship awards from Alabama A&M University (Presidential Scholar), the US Department of Energy/NAACP, Duracell/National Urban League, AAUW, and the Armstrong Foundation, just the name a few. She was one of the first females to complete the dual degree engineering program between AAMU and Georgia Tech and later completed a master’s in public administration degree from Baruch College, CUNY as a 2006 National Urban Fellow (NUF) to the Xcel Energy Foundation and was a 2012 graduate of the NUF America’s Leaders of Change Executive Leadership program. She has developed a broad career in telecommunications and non-profit education sectors.

In her current role as the Senior Director of UNCF Student Professional Development Programs she has led the strategic direction and management of over 40 UNCF internship programs designed to both build workforce diversity and provide diverse students with valuable career experience and professional training for effective student transitions from college to careers. In recent years, her department has served over 1600 students across various industries including education, STEM, financial services, public relations, publishing, entertainment, and health care. She will soon release for first professional youth development book, “Worth the Investment: From Mentorship to Scholarship, Uncovering How to Really Become and Student Worth the Investment.” Her story honors her youth mentors and uncovers the strategic opportunities within the urban center of Paterson, NJ that helped her become a student worth the investment of scholarship and shifts the college-career readiness paradigm to one of career exploration then college planning.