When I first heard about Free Juice's idea and mission, I knew I wanted to be involved or supportive in any way I could. The thought of having people in the photo industry, who looked like me, give me game about navigating a fledgling career seemed invaluable. It's not something I realized until later in my career, and I'm glad I can help those starting their careers right now. I have no interest in gatekeeping any of the knowledge I've gained over the years, and as a mentor, I'm excited to share it with the folks in this program's first iteration. This current cohort of mentees is super talented, and there is no reason for them to needlessly bump their heads on problems that can be easily overcome with just a little help from folks with more experience within the community. To paraphrase one of my favorite musicians, I did that, so hopefully, you won't have to go through that! And that's what Free Juice is all about, to me. IG: @starghill

Danielle is a photo editor at The Wall Street Journal and a freelance photographer. She graduated from Howard University with a degree in journalism and from the Maryland Institute College of Art with a master’s degree in digital art. She also attended the Kalish Workshop for Visual Editing and the New York Times Portfolio Review in 2018. She has exhibited her personal work across the United States and has been an artist-in-residence at the Vermont Studio Center, Center for Photography at Woodstock, Byrdcliffe, and the Wassaic Project. She has written about visual culture and film for RogerEbert.com, Ebony, Teen Vogue, The Triibe, and other publications. Danielle is also the founder and editor of Black Women Directors, a digital library highlighting the work of Black women and non-binary filmmakers. Danielle is a general member of Diversify.Photo and Women Photograph and served as a board member of Authority Collective for two years, all groups committed to creating equity and parity within the visual storytelling and photojournalism fields. Danielle notes, "It’s been an honor and a pleasure to participate as a mentor in Free Juice University. This is exactly the kind of thing I needed when I was younger — a cohort of likeminded Black and brown creatives sharing work, sharing critiques, and being guided by other Black and brown creatives in a safe space. What I also admire about this cohort is how deeply supportive and encouraging everyone is of one another, and how people look out for each other. I’m also learning as much from being a part of this process as a mentor from seeing so many different styles and approaches to work I see from the cohort." IG: @dascruggs_

I'm so grateful to have been able to be a mentor in the FREE JUICE mentorship program. I have learned so much from my mentee, and it's been amazing to see the mentees grow as creative entrepreneurs. They are full of passion and wisdom. Every meeting is an opportunity for growth, whether you're a mentor or a mentee. Every meeting has something new to offer—whether it's an exercise or just a different perspective on things that we take for granted. It's wonderful to be able to pass on my knowledge and experience to someone else who wants it, and I 100% recommend taking part in this program as either a mentor or mentee. IG: @karen_williams_photography