At 22, Dr. Jamelia Harris sat in a UCLA office being told she didn’t belong. A professor, under the guise of support, warned her that the faculty nearly denied her PhD admission because they feared she would need “too much help.” No one, he said, would hold her hand.
That moment, meant to diminish her, sparked a fire instead.
Today, Dr. Harris is holding space for others. Through her startup Write Your Dissertation, Sis, she’s built a powerful, affirming coaching and wellness community that helps Black women scholars finish their dissertations, reimagine their academic experience, and move from burnout to rhythm, isolation to legacy.
“I launched Write Your Dissertation, Sis because I was that young Black woman in a PhD program, first-gen, and often the only one in the room,” she says. “I knew what it meant to feel unseen, and I knew the power of being deeply held.”
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Dr. Harris began her entrepreneurial journey in Future Founders’ 2025 Startup Bootcamp, a national program that helps early-stage entrepreneurs refine their businesses and accelerate growth. As with everything she touches, she entered with intention and left with impact.
Since joining the program, Dr. Harris has doubled her cohort size, hosted her first in-person workshop, and launched a new membership space – The Inner Sister Circle – to continue supporting alumni and current scholars. She’s also expanded her team to include other Black women, some of whom went through the program themselves and now serve as community leaders.
But one of her biggest wins? Taking her first real vacation since launching the business.
“For six months, I led every group coaching call, every writing session, every 1:1 meeting,” she shares. “Letting someone else lead a session while I stepped away – that was a huge moment. It showed me this model is not just working. It’s sustainable.”
That sustainability is critical. Like many solo founders, Dr. Harris has wrestled with the realities of growth: burnout, decision fatigue, and the overwhelming pressure to do everything herself. As a self-described recovering perfectionist, she’s learning to build systems and let go of control, without compromising her standards or the care she pours into her community.
The clarity she’s found through Startup Bootcamp has helped. “From day one, Chris and the Future Founders team helped me think more strategically. One conversation with him shifted my entire mindset from more clients to more value,” she says.
And representation matters, too. Through curated mentorship connections, especially with other Black women entrepreneurs, Dr. Harris found not just guidance, but affirmation. “There’s something powerful about seeing someone who looks like you and understands your vision. That alone reminded me I belong in these spaces.”
Write Your Dissertation, Sis is more than a coaching program – it’s a movement. It’s a community where Black women scholars across the country (and beyond) find not only writing support but deep, authentic connection. A space where wellness is prioritized, audacity is celebrated, and rest is revolutionary.
Dr. Harris didn’t wait for permission. She built what she needed, and now hundreds of women are better for it.
This is what Future Founders is all about: equipping underestimated entrepreneurs with the tools, confidence, and community to launch game-changing businesses. And Dr. Jamelia Harris is living proof of what happens when bold ideas are met with support and belief.
“I may not be continuing to the next phase of the program due to my schedule,” she says, “but I’m carrying forward every gem and every affirmation. [Future Founders] changed me.”
And now, she’s changing the world. One dissertation. One scholar. One audacious dream at a time.
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