Born in the south suburbs of Chicago, Alicia T. Bowens became a teenage   mother at the age of fifteen. However, she didn't let that stop her.  Alicia returned to school, going on to graduate in 1997.

 

Immediately after high school, Alicia went on to attend the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, taking her then three-year old son with her.  In 2001, she graduated, and soon after began a career in the IT industry.  In 2006, she obtained her Masters in Business Administration and Masters in Information Systems Management from Keller Graduate School. 

 

Alicia is a lifetime member of the National Black MBA Association, Chicago Chapter, having served on the Executive Board and Marketing & Communications Committee from 2006-2010.  She also participated in their Leaders Of Tomorrow (LOT) program, a mentoring program for high school students.

 

Alicia has also been involved in other teen mentoring programs, such as The Legacy Initiative, and Y.Our Time Is Now (YTIN), and the Illinois Subsequent Pregnancy Program.

 

In 2010, Alicia became a certified life coach.  As a life coach, it is her desire to share her experiences - both successes and failures - in an effort to empower others to achieve their goals despite the obstacles that may present themselves in life.  She brought those beliefs to the airwaves from 2011-2012, when she partnered with a close friend to create and co-host “The L.O.V.E. Perspective” radio show, which focused on encouraging and inspiring others to live Lives Of Vision & Empowerment.  Alicia believes that if you have a vision for your life, God has already instilled within you the skills and abilities that you need in order to make that vision a reality. 

 

She is now the founder of two businesses— one being BE IT LLC, an IT staffing and consulting company, and the other BE L.O.V.E. LLC ,  a company whose mission is to connect teen and single moms to resources, education, and information through books, coaching, and workshops.

 

Alicia is a 2015 Crown Jewel Award recipient, being recognized by the Lincoln Park Chicago Chapter of the Top Ladies of Distinction Inc. as a woman making a change in the community. She is also a 2016 BOSS Influencer.

 

She has been a frequent guest on various media outlets and at events speaking on career planning, vision boards, relationships, as well as sharing her experiences of being a teenage mother.