About
Our Values
We value having faith, respect, and compassion, regardless of ethnicity, race, gender, socioeconomic status, or background. Humanity and humility are at the core of our belief system.
We are all in this together - to help one another and pull each other forward.
Our Why
Pathway Forward was built out of necessity. Too many young people lack a foundation to learn about, pursue, and build options for their future. With limited guidance, no roadmap to get them from where they are to where they need to go, and little awareness of the possibilities available to them, young people are left to navigate their future with only a high school diploma and limited plans, tools, and support for furthering their education, building a career, and continuing to grow and develop. Youth and young adults are expected to make high-stakes education and career decisions without the experience, skills, and information to do so confidently.
They are missing a roadmap and pipeline to help navigate their post-high school journeys and confidently achieve their goals. Pathway Forward addresses this with guidance, real-world experiences, and clear next steps. It is a roadmap designed to provide young people with clarity, structure, and confidence as they explore what’s possible.
Our Founder
QIANA HICKS - IT LEADER, AUTHOR, SPEAKER
Pathway Forward is inspired by a uniquely personal vision.
Qiana Hicks founded Pathway Forward because she could have used something like it when she was growing up. With a less than advantageous start, she had limited guidance, no roadmap beyond high school, and little awareness of the possibilities available to her, which made it difficult for her to envision working for major corporations and owning a successful business - they both seemed out of reach.
Qiana didn’t have many people to go to for support within her home environment and social circle, which affected her ability to have important conversations about her future, dreams, and aspirations, so she tapped into resources often taken for granted: career fairs, community centers, mentors, and general employment opportunities.
Looking back, Qiana realizes she would have benefited from clear options, structured support, and a vision for her future. Pathway Forward is the roadmap she wishes someone had handed her, now designed for every young person who deserves clarity, confidence, and possibility.
Qiana went on to obtain an undergraduate degree in computer science and a master’s in business. She now has over 25 years of experience in the IT field and working for major Fortune 20 companies where she’s led large teams and organizations in technology transformations and upgrades. Qiana is using her tech and testimony to pay it forward. Having experienced both the problem and the solution, she is the proof of concept and is ready to pave the Pathway Forward.