Monalisa Smith

Monalisa Smith is the Founder and President of Mothers for Justice and Equality, a non-profit grassroots organization in Roxbury that aims to eliminate youth violence in Boston neighborhoods by bringing together families and communities through education and engagement. Monalisa founded MJE in 2010 following the loss of her nephew to local violence. Through a “call to action,” she gathered fellow mothers, many of whom were also suffering the loss of a child to violence, to share their concern with the gross amount of violence against children occurring within their neighborhoods.

In 2014, Monalisa published her first book, titled “Reflection to My Sisters” and in 2015 published “Kindred Souls, the Journey of two beautiful Sisters”. Monalisa is a Dorchester native who has used her corporate background as Director of Community Investment for Citizens Bank, Massachusetts, to help drive this movement. She is also a local civic leader who was recognized in Boston Magazine Power of Ideas, as an idealist- one of 75 bold thinkers that are shaping our city(and world). Monalisa earned B.A. in business from Simmons College.