2025 MATRIX HONOREE

TENESHIA JACKSON WARNER

Founder and CEO of EGAMI Group

Teneshia Jackson Warner is the Founder and CEO of EGAMI Group, an award-winning multicultural agency that is a trusted partner to world-leading consumer, lifestyle, healthcare, financial, and corporate brands. With a mission to move the world forward, EGAMI is also the first multicultural and Black woman-owned agency to win Grand Prix film honors at the Cannes Festival of Creativity.

Teneshia is a dynamic speaker and two-time author whose first book, Profit With Purpose: A Marketers Guide to Deliver Purpose-Driven Campaigns to Multicultural Audiences, earned rave reviews as the first-of-its-kind guide to multicultural, purpose-driven marketing. Her second book, The Big Stretch: 90 Days to Expand Your Dreams, Crush Your Goals, and Create Your Own Success, is a proven program for making your personal and professional dreams come true. She is also the creator of The Dream Project Symposium and coach to Dreamers at all stages of their path to greater purpose.

Presenting the Matrix Award to Teneshia Jackson Warner, her mother

Carolyn T. Hearns

Special Education Teacher

Carolyn Hearns brings over 30 years of experience in education, with a career that has spanned school systems in both Alabama and California. She currently serves as a Special Education Teacher at Dothan Preparatory Academy in Dothan City Schools, specializing in working with students with Autism. Her deep expertise, empathetic leadership, and lasting impact have touched the lives of hundreds of students and families.

Carolyn holds a Master’s degree in Special Education and an Educational Credential with a specialization in Autism from National University in San Diego. She also earned a Bachelor of Science in Rehabilitative Counseling from Florida State University. Throughout her career, Carolyn has been driven by a passion for connecting with students and helping them realize their full potential—often exceeding the expectations set before them.

A remarkable example of resilience, Carolyn overcame the challenges of teen motherhood to rise as a leader in her field. She shares her story with teens as a motivational speaker, offering hope and encouragement to those navigating difficult paths.

Her excellence in the classroom has been recognized widely—she was named Teacher of the Year in California’s National School District in 2013, and honored as Alabama’s Teacher of the Month in 2021. Carolyn was also selected to contribute a chapter to Harry Wong’s renowned education book The First Days of School, writing about classroom management strategies for students with Autism—a distinction held by few.

Outside the classroom, Carolyn is deeply family-oriented. She finds joy in spending time in nature, reading, and nurturing the same spirit of curiosity and care she brings to her students. Those who meet Carolyn are struck by her warmth, wisdom, and unwavering dedication to others—a legacy that will be felt for generations.