The ‘S’ Word Project is ideal for teenagers, both male & female, in need of an outlet to discuss sex & seek information to enable them to make the wisest & healthiest choices.
Our Leaders
Erin Thompson, founder of The 'S' Word Project, has a passion for teens fulfilling on their dreams and living a life they love. She we nearly derailed from fulling her dreams when she got pregnant and had an abortion at 17 years old and does not want other teens to go through things like that alone like she did.
Erin was able to overcome previous mistakes with the support of her family and God's provision and now has a Juris Doctorate from The John Marshall Law School and a B.A. in Arts, Entertainment and Media Management from Columbia College Chicago.
Erin an experienced Operations Manager, Business Developer and Small Business Consultant. She is currently the Special Project Manager for the Inner City Law Center in Los Angeles. She enjoys song writing, staying active and spending quality time with friends and family.
Erin Thompson : Executive Director
Brandi Williams is a writer, teacher, and speaker. She is currently an Associate Minister at City Point Community Church in Chicago, IL and is creator of lifestyle blog Lips for Jesus: Hues & Hallelujahs. Ms. Williams regularly lends her voice to matters such as abstinence, life purpose, as well as gratitude and contentment.
She has a Masters in Christian Studies from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. She utilizes her training and gifts to teach and equip others in the areas of healthy body image and self esteem, spiritual formation, discipleship, and racial reconciliation.
Brandi Willams : Speakers Coach
Board of Directors
Marlon Haywood was born and raised on the Southside of Chicago in the Englewood area. He attended Northern Illinois University (NIU) and received his Master’s Degree in Adult & Higher Education and a Bachelor’s of Arts in Liberal Studies from NIU. He is currently pursuing a doctorate of Philosophy in Health Sciences at Rush University.
He co-developed the male mentoring program Urban Male Initiative, that provides academic support to first generation and minority male students that come from underserved communities in the Chicago-land area at Malcolm X College.
Marlon is a Mentor Teacher Brother (MTB), a non-profit organization that mentors young African American male high school students in Chicago. MTB is the national philanthropy program for Phi Rho Eta Fraternity, Inc, in which he is a proud member. He currently sits on the Board of Directors for MTB where their current plan is increasing the number of minority males that come from low-income areas, entering into college to obtain degrees.
Marlon is working on the BMO Harris Bank grant project in partnership with Rush University, Malcolm X College, and the Medical Home Network where he does research, designs curriculum and other initiatives to address the socioeconomic and health disparity issues in low-income communities in Chicago. He founded Marlon Speaks, LLC, a platform that allows him to use his voice and experiences to promote social change.
Marlon Haywood
Sheridan Richards is passionate about helping organizations realize their full potential with the resources available to them. She is experienced with fund development, strategic planning, human resources management, and change management. She is currently the Executive Director of Circle Y Ranch Bible Camp, a Christian nonprofit that provides residential camp programs for urban youth in Chicago and Detroit.
She received her B.A. in Political Science from Cal Poly Pomona, and spent one term of her studies studying international business in China. She also earned a Master of Divinity from Fuller Theological Seminary and has an M.A. in Public Policy and Administration at Northwestern University.
The key social issues that tug at her heart are domestic violence, urban ministry, and generational poverty. Her work history also includes policy development & implementation; program development; volunteer management; and mentoring. She reside in the Chicago area with my husband and son.
Sheridan Richards
Felecia E. Thompson
Currently serving as the Director of Domestic Mission for Christ Church of Oak Brook in Chicago; Felecia is a native of the south side of Chicago, a mother of two grown daughters, and has been married for 35 years to Steve, a prison ministry chaplain.
Felecia received her bachelor of arts in sociology/psychology from DePaul University, a master of science in human services administration from Spertus College, and is currently pursuing a doctor of ministry degree at Bakke Graduate University in Seattle. Felecia has also gone through senior management training with ServiceMaster Corporation and the John Templeton Institute’s program for non-profit board leadership and fundraising.
Felecia’s teaching gifts have given her instructional roles at Illinois Campus Compact (a coalition of Illinois College who collaborate on Civic Engagement), Moody Bible Institute, and numerous conferences. Her administrative and leadership gifts have been employed in executive roles with the DeVos Family Foundation’s Urban Leadership Initiative, the Family Care Network, and the Crisis Pregnancy Center of Chicago. For most of the past fifteen years, Felecia has directed community partnership programs for Trinity Christian College and then for World Vision, where she served as Executive Director of its Chicagoland operation for three years.
Felecia exhibits extraordinary intelligence, experience, and personal grace. She clearly loves Christ and is passionate to see his church engage more fully the needs of the neighborhoods around it.
Board of Advisors
Joselyn DiPetta is passionate about empowering teams and individuals to expand their view of what’s possible. Her focus on women’s leadership, diversity and inclusion, and leadership alignment is a platform for the creation of holistic solutions that transform people and cultures in service of achieving exceptional results.
Her experience is wide-ranging; from helping executives at Fortune 500 companies create meaningful, innovative change across their organizations to transforming gender norms in rural Egypt. Joselyn has led numerous culture change, diversity and inclusion, women’s leadership, and executive leadership programs in industries including, healthcare, insurance, financial services, education, agriculture, and large-scale infrastructure.
Joselyn earned a BA from Case Western Reserve University and a Master of Public Policy degree, from Georgetown University. Joselyn is a graduate of the Coaches Training Institute and is a certified Barrett Cultural Transformation Tools (CTT) consultant. Joselyn has lived and worked in North America, Europe, Sub Saharan Africa, and the Middle East.
Joselyn DiPetta
Josh Middleman
Josh Middleman has worked with leaders across the world including politicians, senior executives, and community leaders to create impact and achieve their objectives. He has advised companies on business development, operations, and communications strategy; and raised millions of dollars for mission driven organizations and is a trained executive and leadership coach. He holds a BS in Management from Ithaca College and an MA in Political Science from the American University in Cairo.
Josh has a deep passion for travel and adventure and has lived and worked in North America, Europe, Sub Saharan Africa, and the Middle East.
