Leading with Purpose: Taliah Givens on What Makes the UNCF Conference a Game-Changer

We were honored to sit down with Taliah Givens, a woman whose work speaks volumes and whose presence instantly uplifts. Now streaming on our YouTube channel, this powerful conversation goes beyond her title to explore the heart, hustle, and vision behind her mission.

Before she became the Senior Director of Student Professional Development Programs at UNCF, Givens was deep in the world of engineering — earning dual degrees from Alabama A&M University and Georgia Tech, defying the odds, and rewriting what leadership could look like. Today, she’s leading a movement rooted in access, equity, and real-world preparation.

Nearly 140 undergraduate students from across the U.S. have convened in Washington, D.C., for the 15th annual UNCF Student Leadership Conference (SLC). This multi-day event will feature presentations and keynote addresses from corporate leaders on professional development topics, aimed at equipping students with skills needed to be successful as interns and early career professionals. The conference will take place at the Renaissance Arlington Capital View Hotel in Arlington, VA from May 28-30. 

This year’s conference theme is Empower And Inspire: Building Your Network And Your Net Worth. Students from HBCUs and other institutions will engage in fast-paced simulations, storytelling labs, and roundtable mentorship with real professionals—from Disney to National Geographic, to healthcare leaders and finance executives.

Our full interview with Taliah Givens is live now. Her words aren’t just inspirational, they’re instructional. If you’re a student, mentor, educator, or simply someone navigating your purpose, this is the conversation you didn’t know you needed.

Watch it. Share it. Be moved by it.