A Letter from the CEO No One Believed In

For much of my life, I was the one left out — the friend no one chose, the face that blended into the background. Not pretty enough, not popular enough, always the last picked or not picked at all.

Despite what others tried to make me feel, I’ve accomplished things I’m proud of. Yet, while quietly wishing for a single cheer, I often found myself waiting for a pat on the back — watching others receive recognition simply for showing up.

I’ve been invisible in college programs, dismissed and invalidated, made to question my own sanity with no support to lean on. I’ve been the friend who puts everyone else first, only to be used as emotional support or overlooked as someone “no one really needs.”

I hold deep compassion for that version of me — the one who cried alone, wondering why no one cared.

Now, as the CEO of this organization, I sometimes ask myself: Will it survive? Will I be enough? Can this vision live when I’m the leader no one believed in — the one who’s faced rejection, isolation, and the absence of support?

I know what it’s like to swim alone, gasping for air, swallowing tears while the world moves on. I know the ache of carrying the weight of being unseen.

But here’s what I’ve come to understand:

Being unseen doesn’t mean I lack value. Being left out doesn’t mean I don’t belong.

I chose to rise anyway — to build the community I once longed for, a place where those who feel invisible can find hope, connection, and strength.

This organization is an embodiment of what many desire — a unified community where everyone feels seen and fully appreciated. You may feel invisible and treated as such, but you are not. Your story doesn’t stop here. This is a stepping stone.

If you’ve ever felt invisible, unheard, or unloved, know this: You are not alone. Your story matters. And together, we will rise.

I may be the CEO no one believed in — but I believe in us.

By: Tammy Griffin