Women’s Independent Press

2011 GRACE ROBINSON, LUTC, MBA, State Farm Agent
Founder of Tomorrow’s Future, Inc.
Tomorrow’s Future Inc. is a mentoring, entrepreneurial and job-training program for at-risk teens founded in 1992 by Grace Robinson. Grace Robinson is a prominent business owner and a successful award-winning State Farm Agent. She was one of three African America women in the United States chosen by State Farm to become agents in the early 1980’s. She was the FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN female State Farm agent in Pennsylvania. As Grace overcame many barriers and opened doors previously closed to African American women, she became determined to find ways to share her success with her community, especially young people. Being a mother of two girls, she saw it was important to demonstrate a model to them, their peers and at-risk youth of how they could succeed in business. This led her to found the non-profit organization, Tomorrow’s Future, Inc, in 1992.

The mission of Tomorrow’s Future is to equip young people with the basic communication, employment and social skills needed to compete in today’s marketplace.
The six weekly sessions held at Point Park University bring a wide variety of diverse speakers to the program. They interact with the students to inspire them to go beyond the boundaries of their neighborhood community.
As part of the activities of the program, the students participate in a “job shadowing day” visit to the Cleveland Federal Reserve Bank. They meet and interact with the top management of the bank. The course culminates in an essay contest where the students share their vision for changing the world. The top three winners receive a scholarship. Other students receive certificates and cash awards to commend them for their achievements and outstanding efforts during the course.

For many years Grace funded this program herself. It is only recently she has received additional funding to support the program. Under Grace’s guidance, and with a core of dedicated volunteers, over 370 students throughout Allegheny County have had the opportunity to participate in the program. Since the beginning, many of these students have entered college and started professional careers or their own businesses. For her dedication and untiring effort to young people through Tomorrow’s Future Inc., she was honored as a Jefferson Community Champion in 2002 and the Greater Pittsburgh YWCA Racial Justice Award in 2009.

Tomorrow’s Future, Inc. VISION: is to give hope and provide opportunity where previously there was none.

Grace Robinson, Founder & Board Chair 412-682-7383 Danielle Robinson, Executive Director: 412-398-9477
5108 Baum Blvd. Pittsburgh, PA 15224 412-682-7383
Vision: To give hope and provide opportunity where previously there was none.