Donna Franklin
2025 OBSERVER “30 Under 30” Honoree
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Age: 28
Occupation: Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Donna Franklin is a dynamic force in Sacramento’s nonprofit landscape, leading not one — but two — organizations dedicated to youth empowerment. As Director of Juma Ventures, she supports young people through workforce development and job readiness. On weekends, she leads her own initiative, Birdhouse Fly Away, offering hands-on mentorship in construction, caregiving, and culinary arts to youth who might otherwise be overlooked. A trauma-informed leader and mentor, Franklin draws from her own experiences overcoming poverty and systemic barriers. She describes herself as a “planter,” someone who sows seeds of possibility and equips others to grow. Whether she’s developing programs, mentoring one-on-one, or inspiring future leaders, including her own child, Franklin leads with vision, compassion, and purpose, helping Sacramento’s young people take flight.
If you could grab coffee or a meal with any historical Black figure or current influential African American person, who would it be and what would you ask them?
I’d love to sit down with Nipsey Hussle. His commitment to ownership, reinvesting in his community, and building long-term legacy through entrepreneurship deeply added to the inspiration while Birdhouse was in incubation. I’d ask him, “What were the three personal turning points in your life? How did you stay grounded through all the noise and pressure pulling you in different directions?” I’d want to understand what shifted his path from joining the set to becoming a symbol of change and how he transformed talent and potential into something bigger than himself. His work reminds me that healing and hustling can absolutely go hand-in-hand when it’s rooted in love for your people.
We would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to our “30 Under 30” sponsors for their generous support:
