Tia Payne is a faith-driven leader, survivor-advocate, and founder of Legacy31, an initiative dedicated to holistic healing and identity restoration. With nearly two decades of experience serving survivors of gender-based violence, Tia has built her career at the intersection of advocacy, leadership, and spiritual formation.
As an African American woman, her work is shaped by lived experience, cultural awareness, and a deep conviction that healing must honor the whole person including their faith. Tia believes trauma may impact a person’s story, but it does not determine their identity. Her leadership bridges faith-based and secular spaces, challenging systems to recognize the role of spiritual grounding in recovery and resilience.
Throughout her career, she has served in executive shelter leadership, statewide coalition work, and organizational training, equipping communities to respond to survivors with both excellence and empathy. She is also a published author and speaker whose writing and teaching center on obedience, purpose, and the courage to follow God beyond comfort.
At the heart of Tia’s work is a simple but transformative belief: identity is anchored in who God says we are. Through speaking, writing, and advocacy, she creates spaces where individuals are not only supported but spiritually strengthened, culturally affirmed, and empowered to walk boldly in their calling.