EnventU is a one-of-a-kind workforce development initiative designed to introduce and nurture an interest in event industry career opportunities for D.C. public high school students. Business leaders and industry professionals guide students from underserved communities as they produce a real event for a local client. Students learn about and make decisions regarding catering and decor, audiovisual elements, lighting, graphic design and more over ten weeks. EnventU makes it easy for industry veterans to inspire and help cultivate the next generation of event professionals as in-class guest speakers and mentors or as guides through the innerworkings of their businesses during supplier field trips. Since the inaugural session in 2015, more than 100 participating sophomores, juniors and seniors have created and/or staffed corporate holiday events, trade shows and expos, professional conferences, and even a 3,500-attendee rock concert. EnventU currently serves students at Woodrow Wilson Senior High School, Frank W. Ballou Senior High School and Columbia Heights Educational Campus in Washington, D.C.

 

 

Latoya Lewis unknowingly tapped into a passion for event planning and design at a very young age. Initially
drawn to the intricacies of the event creation process, Lewis has come full circle in not just perfecting her craft,
but rendering it into an art form.

Lewis began her career at Universal Music Group (UMG), where she oversaw and purchased over $1M in media
ad buys and advertising campaigns for some of the biggest names in music entertainment, including Lil' Wayne,
Robin Thicke, Yeah Yeah Yeah's, and The Black-Eyed Peas. She also coordinated third-party event opportunities
for UMG artists valued at more than $700,000, including the All-American Rejects for Seventeen and JC Penny's
"Rock Your Prom" 2008 national sweepstakes. Lewis also implemented digital delivery of commercial creative
to television networks saving UMG over $50,000 each quarter.

After a successful tenure with UMG, Lewis enrolled in the Accelerated Masters of Tourism Administration
program at The George Washington University. Upon completion in 2010, Lewis's talents were sought out by
the nationally recognized special events firm, Events by Andre Wells (EAW). Lewis excelled in all event
platforms with experience and expertise in large-scale conferences, conventions, corporate, charity and nonprofit
occasions to weddings and social events. Lewis played an integral role with EAW, overseeing and
executing complex and detailed event logistics with ease, while maintaining and managing vendors, budgets in
excess of $100K, and all bottom-line aspects of event production.

As an EAW account manager, Lewis conceptualized, coordinated and produced high-end weddings, corporate
conferences, social events, conventions. Her milestone achievements include management of the opening for
the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial and its 2400-attendee Dream Gala, and a celebratory dinner for more
than 250 major donors of the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

After seven years with EAW, Lewis decided it was time to fulfill her passion to create a workforce development
initiative to introduce public high school students to the live events industry -- a concept that was developed
during her time at The George Washington University. EnventU originally launched in 2015 as an afterschool
program but is now integrated into the school day at Woodrow Wilson Senior High School and Frank W. Ballou
high school. It also offers special in-class programming to students at Columbia Heights Education Campus.
EnventU strives to be the premiere workforce development organization of the event planning industry.