Dea Leftwich on the Nice Doin' Business With Ya Podcast

Show Notes

Dea Leftwich, police detective, certified polygraph examiner, the first Pennsylvania region African American female mounted patrol officer, and former Army medic turned her personal grief journey into a mission that is changing young lives.

Her new nonprofit, Riding Into the Future, brings inner-city kids into the horse world and opens doors to confidence, patience, consistency, and post-secondary education scholarship money. What starts as a conversation about horses quickly becomes a powerful story about purpose, timing, and community. Dea shares how volunteering at stables during a season of deep loss led her to equine therapy, a mounted patrol opportunity, and finally a 4-H club designed to give kids free riding lessons, transportation, meals, and a path to educational support.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

Why 4-H became the perfect framework for her nonprofit
What it takes to qualify for Riding Into the Future
How she got unexpected local media coverage
The role community partners and sponsors play in the program

Dea’s story centers around unconventional PR, community partnership, and mission-driven visibility, and serves as a testament on how one person with limited time and resources can create momentum by serving a need no one else was solving.

If you care about youth development, community impact, nonprofit growth, equine therapy, or earning attention for a meaningful cause, listen now! Perfect for leaders, nonprofit builders, community advocates, and anyone who believes a great mission can still start small and grow fast.

Dea Leftwich of Riding Into the Future

Show Notes