Monique Muhammad never quits and doesn’t take no for an answer. That tenacity is part of what fuels her to help improve lives every day.
She grew up in a single-mother, low-income household and also experienced life in the foster care system. Today she has made it her mission to inform individuals that no matter their circumstances, passion can be turned into a business.
Monique runs Monique Je’ Academy, an online school offering financial and professional growth courses, and she has helped small businesses in Plano and beyond navigate the pandemic with her financial support business, The One Nine Group. She is also an active member of Dallas Professional Women.
In 2011 Monique founded Code Pink Productions. The nonprofit organization is committed to building a better community by developing the potential of low-income families as well as at-risk girls and women. Monique implements her expertise in business coaching, financial services and education within Code Pink.
“I’m just a giving-back person. I want to inspire youth of underserved, low-income communities, and moms and dads that are in a space that they think they can’t get out of,” she said. “I was raised and trained by entrepreneurs. I want to instill the faith and belief that they can be that, too.”
Through Code Pink she has given out scholarships, helped create sports and activity programs, and is currently organizing care packages for homeless citizens. Other services include mentorship for girls 8-21 years old; resumé writing and interview-skills workshops for low-income and unemployed women; medical research fundraising; and support resources for women living with serious health issues, such as cancer, diabetes and more.
Those services are personal to Monique. Seventeen years ago, as a new mother to a one-year-old and two adopted teen girls, she was diagnosed with stage 2B breast cancer. Her mother was diagnosed with colon cancer the same week. The two women fought their battles together. Both went into remission, however, her mother passed away in 2009 after her cancer spread. Last year Monique awarded a scholarship to a young student in her mother’s name.
Friend and associate Irum Rashid-Jones commended Monique for seeing the potential in every person. “[Monique] doesn’t work hard for herself; she works hard for others, and I can’t think of another act so noble than to help others succeed.”
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