Our Founder

I wasn’t supposed to make it here — but here I am.

I’m Remeta Hicks-Montgomery, founder of The Kindred Collective. A Detroit girl with grit in her bones, purpose in her chest, and a deep belief that our babies deserve more than scraps when it comes to opportunity.

I didn’t go to an HBCU. Not because I didn’t want to — I did. I got accepted to Howard while I was already a freshman at Eastern Michigan University. But like too many first-generation students, I didn’t know what to do next. I had no roadmap, no support system, and no one around me who could guide me from acceptance letter to enrollment line. I had the potential, but not the path.

That experience stuck with me. Burned into me, really.
Because it wasn’t just my story — it was (and still is) the story of too many.

Years later, I’ve taken that ache and turned it into action. I’ve built and led HBCU tours that have sold out every single time — including one that impacted over 150 students. I’ve seen the fire that gets lit in a young person’s eyes when they step on a yard for the first time and realize, this was built for me. And I’ve seen what happens when we don’t stop there — when we provide the structure, strategy, and stage for that spark to turn into something real.

But my “why” doesn’t stop with college access. I’m a mom. A proud autism mom and a dedicated Detroit Youth Choir mom. I’ve parented through uncertainty, advocacy battles, triumphs, and tears. I’ve held it down through diagnoses, IEP meetings, and moments where I just had to figure it out on my own. I know what it means to need a village — and also what it means to be one.

The truth is, much of what blocked me from opportunities wasn’t lack of ability — it was lack of capacity, clarity, and community. That’s what I’ve built The Kindred Collective to provide.

This isn’t just a program. This is liberation work.
It’s systems-change work.
It’s “we got us” in motion.

The Kindred Fellowship, our signature offering, is one of the most intentional moves I’ve ever made. Because exposure without strategy is not transformation. And a tour without tools and investment is just a field trip.

We’re building something that lasts.
That speaks life.
That flips the narrative for Black youth and families.

And we're doing it on purpose and in power.

I hope when you read this, you feel the heart behind the work. I hope you see yourself — or someone you love — in the students we serve. And I hope you’ll walk with us, fund us, trust us, and spread the word.

Because this?
This ain’t charity.
It’s legacy.

Let’s build.

— Ms. Remi