TONEE LAWSON
Founder and Executive Director The Be. Org
Tonee Lawson is a Washington, DC area native, but has made Baltimore her home since her college years as a Towson Tiger. She is proud alum of Towson University, graduating with a dual Bachelor of Science degree in Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Bioinformatics (MB3); and Biology. She also has a Master of Science degree in Biotechnology. Tonee enjoys giving back to the community through her service with the Greater Baltimore Leadership Association and the Rho Xi Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. She is a founding member of Bmore R.I.S.E., a grassroots nonprofit established in 2016 to combine socially-engaging experiences with social impact to empower the Baltimore community.
Professionally, Tonee is the founder and executive director The Be. Org (Be.) a youth development nonprofit whose mission is to encourage and nurture youth to live above their socially-imposed limitations; to develop their character, talents, and leadership skills allowing them to go beyond a dream and achieve remarkable excellence. Be. recently celebrated it’s 5 year anniversary and continues to be a leading organization for youth development in Baltimore. Tonee consults in areas of social impact, corporate social responsibility, program design, and nonprofit event planning.
Aside from her work in the community, Tonee is a social media influencer and plus size model. She has been seen on the runways of New York Fashion Week, Philadelphia Fashion Week, and featured in several local and international publications.
Tonee was recently featured on the “In Real Life” segment of the Quicksilva Show for her impact on the community. She was also recognized by the Daily Record as a Very Important Professional (VIP) Under 40. She was a 2018-2019 Johns Hopkins University Social Innovation Fellow and is developing a virtual reality curriculum for social emotional learning in youth. She is a true servant leader and enjoys nothing more than sharing her time and talents with young people to help them reach their full potential.