Kyle Hollins

Kyle Hollins has traveled a road that is all too common to men and women that come from humble beginnings. He went through Homelessness, Drug Sells, and Gang Life which landed him incarcerated for 90 plus months. He is now a seminary student, attributed writer and the founder of Exile Promotions and Consulting along with The Lyrik’s Institution. Between teaching, public speaking, and using the science of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, he is now able to give back to a community from which he felt he took so much from.

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Denise Crawford

Denise Crawford has worked in the non-profit sector for over 25 years.  As the HR Director for Emmanuel Family and Child Development Center, a non-profit early education center, she played a significant role in the development of the non-profit organization and continues to direct its current operations. In this position, she has provided expertise in key HR capabilities including performance management, compensation and benefits, organization development, recruiting, and leadership and professional development.

Denise received her bachelor’s degree in business administration with an emphasis in finance and a minor in economics from the University of Missouri – Kansas City. She attended graduate school at the University of Phoenix working on a master’s degree in human resource management. Currently, she is studying to earn a certification as a Senior Certified Professional in Human Resource Management (SHRM-SCP). ​

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Raymond Lucas

Culture Coach

From obstacles to accolades, Raymond Lucas knows it takes action and a thought process shift to manifest dreams into reality. Still, a voice must be heard for hearts and minds to be impacted. Raymond survived violent and impoverished conditions growing up, but in spite of that, he went to
college with a promising basketball career that was interrupted by a decision that that led him to a 10-year sentence in a Missouri correctional facility. This is where the rubber met the road and he decided to refine his thinking and restructure his life. Raymond became a student of self first, then he became a teacher for many. Since then, Raymond has been a life coach, mentor, basketball coach, spoken word artist, and child advocate. After being certified through Lyrik’s training, he is now managing classrooms and developing young adults for a successful future. As a devoted student to the ethics of Journalism, Raymond is quoted for saying, “I have seen and been through enough to have multiple encyclopedias written about my life. Experience has been my teacher and my wisdom is the application of that knowledge. This is what I will offer the young adults that either come into my class or that I come across as we do this work at Lyrik’s.”

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​Marcus Duncan

​Culture Coach

Marcus Duncan is a 2022 graduate of Northeast High School. Because of his dedication and work ethic, Marcus was able to graduate a year earlier then his projected to graduation year. Marcus took the Lyrik’s Institution’s Power Moves class his junior/senior year, where he came in contact with the
sciences of Lyrik’s. Kyle Hollins, the culture coach at the time, saw his dedication to learn. Marcus was catapulted to a leadership position in the class and throughout the school. Marcus is an artist, graphic designer, videographer, promotor, recording engineer, pod cast host, clothing designer, and poet. Marcus brings a particular intersect when it comes to his culture coach position. At such a young age, he is able to connect with young adults in a way that is only limited to him. Because of his year long learning in the Power Moves class and his certified training through Lyrik’s, he is going to be a movement in the classroom and to all the young adults that he encounters. Marcus is quoted for saying, “My goal is to show the world that we can be great by learning and teaching valuable information that will ultimately improve the way we live.”

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Aisha Williams

Aisha Williams is proud to serve in her hometown and in the community that her family has lived in for generations. Aisha is the Operations Director for Lyrik’s Institution. Currently, Aisha is in her sixth year with City Year and now serving as the Impact & Evaluation Director. In addition to these roles, she is a 2023 Fellow of the Surge Institute and sits on Teach For America-Kansas City’s Collective Board. Prior to joining Lyrik’s Institution, Aisha served two years as a corps member for Teach For America in Metro Atlanta where she was a seventh-grade English Language Arts educator at Forest Park Middle School in Forest Park, Georgia.

Aisha is an alum of the University of Missouri-Columbia (Mizzou) where she majored in Multicultural Psychology and Black Studies. While at Mizzou she minored in Gender Studies and received her Multicultural Certificate. Aisha is also a proud women’s college alumna. She attended Cottey College where she majored in Psychology. Aisha enjoys helping people realize what they are passionate about and helping them figure out the steps to take to achieve those things. Aisha‘s pastimes are watching movies, traveling, and trying new foods. She lives in Kansas City with her husband, children, and dog.