Layah Willis, Founder

Layah champions kids whose limited experiences keep them from having big dreams. She was inspired to create City Youth Exposure by her own experience growing up in South Los Angeles and working with youth with similar backgrounds. She studied socioeconomic disparities in underserved communities and explored solutions that could close opportunity gaps and uplift new generations. 

CYE was created to provide an innovative solution to some of the most common problems youth face growing up today. Layah envisions CYE being a light in children’s lives by creating positive experiences and expanding possibilities for their future. Through her work with CYE, Layah has brought to life her dream of creating opportunities that help youth realize their dreams and propel them into a brighter future. 

Layah earned a B.A. in Sociology and a minor in Education from the University of California, Berkeley. She has a Master’s degree in Nonprofit Management from Antioch University Los Angeles and is a Certified Nonprofit Professional (CNP).