The Baltimore Ravens named Joni Holifield as their 2025 Inspire Change Changemaker – an annual recognition celebrating leaders who are driving significant, measurable change in their communities across the NFL's Inspire Change initiative's four pillars: education, economic advancement, police-community relations, and criminal justice reform.
A Baltimore native, Holifield is the founder and president of HeartSmiles, a nonprofit that provides underserved youth in Charm City with personal and professional development opportunities to help them reach their full potential.
Since its inception in 2015, HeartSmiles has provided over $1 million in wages to youth and now serves over 1,500 youth annually. In 2024, high school seniors in HeartSmiles programming had a graduation rate of 100 percent, exceeding Baltimore's average of 70 percent.
"For 10 years now, Heart Smiles has been pouring love and hope into the darkest spaces of our underserved communities in Baltimore, and our effort has led to a movement bigger than any one person," Holifield stated. "What began as a one-woman effort has grown into a movement of thousands of young people across our city, from the unloved neighborhoods being put directly at the intersection of access and opportunity and showing the world what youth leadership looks like."
"Our Heartbeats are actively changing the narrative in Baltimore, and the support from the Baltimore Ravens has been invaluable in showing the world that young people – regardless of where they come from – deserve a chance to create their own versions of success."
In addition to founding HeartSmiles, Holifield is the founder and leadership coach of Leading for Longevity, where she offers leadership training and development services to businesses across all industries. She has also held a leadership position at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Center for Adolescent Health's Youth Advisory Board.
Holifield will be recognized at the Ravens' Inspire Change game vs. New England this Sunday (Dec. 21) for her exceptional work and incredible impact.
2025 Ravens Inspire Change Logo
One element of the Ravens' 2025 Inspire Change activations include rookie LB Teddye Buchanan's design of Baltimore's Inspire Change logo. A talented artist, Buchanan, was inspired by the initiative and combined his love for art and social justice by creating the special logo. His art will be printed on select player hoodies for the Dec. 23 Inspire Change game and sold in Ravens retail stores, with all proceeds benefiting the HeartSmiles organization.
