Today we’d like to introduce you to Tamika Lecheé Morales.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I was born and raised in New York, a proud Nuyorican, made in La Isla del Encanto and sharpened by city grit. I grew up understanding three things early: one, that love is loud in Latino households. It’s spoken in Spanish, shared through food, and sealed with a “bendición” before you walk out the door. Two, that nothing is handed to you. You earn it. With hustle. With heart. With audacity. And three, that being poor is not a permanent identity. It is often a set of circumstances, not a sentence. I learned that when resources are limited, creativity becomes currency. Imagination becomes strategy. That shift in mindset moves you from surviving to building, from scarcity to vision.
My journey has never been linear. I have been an actress, a playwright, an educator, a brick and mortar tax franchise business owner, an author, a keynote speaker, a national business development executive, and an executive producer of documentaries. I still do many of these things, but I am also a wife, a mother, and a woman who learned that taking up space isn’t an act of ego, it is a matter of responsibility. I stand on stages under bright lights and show up in hospital rooms under fluorescent ones. Whether I am advocating for legislation, training law enforcement, or defending my son’s rights in IEP meetings, I know that my voice is my most powerful asset. Both the spotlight and the system continue to teach me that courage is a daily practice.
Motherhood changed everything. When autism entered our world, it did not knock politely. It disrupted, stretched, and redefined what strength looked like in our home. I had to become a student of systems, insurance policies, therapies, and legislation. I saw how many families were drowning quietly because of economic and cultural barriers that made access to services feel out of reach. That reality stirred something within me.
So I took my many talents and reached out to a village of heroes who had the education, expertise, and awareness in areas I did not. Together, we built something that became a bridge for education, awareness, access, and belonging. I dared to learn what I did not know. I dared to ask for help when I needed it. Pride does not build movements. Partnership and collaboration do.
The Autism Hero Project (AHP) was born from lived experience, late nights, relentless research, and an unrelenting belief that access changes outcomes. We bridge financial gaps for therapy. We train first responders on autism. We created the #EvolvingHeroes Education Scholarship to equip autistic adults with the skills and knowledge to secure meaningful employment. We build inclusive community experiences. We push beyond awareness into real inclusion.
But AHP is not the whole of me. It is an extension of who I am.
Long before nonprofit leadership, I was telling stories. On stages. In classrooms. In boardrooms. I learned that story is strategy. It opens doors that data alone cannot. Today, whether I am speaking about inclusion, leadership, resilience, or women stepping into their power, I draw from lived experience, not theory. I have navigated rooms where I was underestimated and rooms where I was entrusted with the vision. The settings change. The mission does not. Use my voice. Build the bridge. Move people from awareness to action.
I have won awards. I have built strategic partnerships. I have earned trust. I have endured doubt. Both success and resistance have refined me. Nothing about this journey was accidental. It was persistence. It was faith. It was refusing to leave any opportunity unclaimed.
Where I am today is not a destination. It is a platform. I am building nationally, thinking generationally, and leading with the understanding that impact is bigger than applause. My story is still being written, but it will always be rooted in a legacy of love that my family and especially my Lobo Blanco and my Legendary Kid can be proud of. I want to leave this world better than I found it, especially for them and the generations to come.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Has it been a smooth road? That question alone makes me laugh out loud. It has absolutely not been a smooth road. If anything, it has been a road under construction while I was driving it.
The struggles came in waves.
Early Lessons in Grit
At sixteen, I was accepted into The Academy of Finance at my high school, which led to a summer internship on Wall Street with a large securities firm. The job itself was not the hard part. I could do the work. The hard part was not having the wardrobe or the resources to look like I belonged there. I did not always have money for train fare or lunch. I was making five dollars an hour, stretching every paycheck between helping my grandmother buy groceries for our household of eleven in a two-bedroom apartment in the projects, setting aside transportation money, and somehow trying to piece together professional clothes.
I was judged by management and peers for how I showed up, and that affected my psyche. That was my first real encounter with imposter syndrome. Not because I lacked intelligence, but because I lacked access. Dealing with imposter syndrome while you’re literally hungry is a level of grit most people don’t understand.
Becoming While Building
Motherhood added a new set of hurdles. Navigating being a young mom while working full-time, supporting a household, and attending college at night was another layer of pressure. I learned quickly that as much as a mother raises a child, a child also raises a mother.
Later, entrepreneurship humbled me even further. Owning a brick-and-mortar tax franchise while still being a full-time teacher taught me that vision is one thing, but cash flow and staffing are another. Leadership isn’t glamorous when you’re cleaning the office toilets at 1:00 AM only to be in your classroom by 7:40 AM the next morning. It is discipline, sacrifice, and often making payroll before paying yourself.
Advocacy Under Fire
Motherhood layered a different kind of challenge when autism entered our lives. Navigating systems, cultural barriers, ignorance, and invisibility all at once can leave you feeling bruised. There were moments I walked into rooms knowing I would have to be informed and immovable. I had to learn to be unapologetic about letting my emotions rise, letting my tears, fears, and vulnerability lead the way for others to join the fight.
Building What Did Not Exist
Building The Autism Hero Project (AHP) came with its own obstacles. Grassroots nonprofit work is not for the faint of heart. It’s fundraising while educating; it’s convincing stakeholders that inclusion is not charity—it’s a responsibility that strengthens everyone’s bottom line. There were seasons when rejection felt loud, when the hits of “no” kept coming, and when the vision felt bigger than the support. But I’ve always believed that if the mission is from God, provision eventually follows.
The Inner Battle
There were internal struggles, too. Imposter syndrome does not care about your résumé. Being a Latina with humble beginnings in corporate spaces, nonprofit leadership, and policy conversations means you are sometimes underestimated before you even speak. I learned early that I did not need permission to lead or be bold. None of us do.
The road has included grief, tenacity, financial risk, long nights, and moments of doubt—but it also included so much joy. It brought incredible people into my life that I would have never otherwise met. Every obstacle sharpened me. Every challenge clarified my why. I do not resent the resistance. It built endurance.
Smooth roads create comfortable drivers. Rough roads create skilled ones. And I intend to keep driving forward—into the sunset.
We’ve been impressed with The Autism Hero Project, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I am a bridge-builder by trade and a storyteller by heart. I am the Founder and President of The Autism Hero Project (AHP), but I like to think of us as a movement of “Hope Dealers” who show the world limitless possibilities. We don’t just advocate for “awareness”—because awareness is passive. We exist to prepare children with autism for the world and, more importantly, to prepare the world for them. We advocate for a society that sees these beautiful minds as equals—a goal that is actionable, measurable, and a shared responsibility. We specialize in bridging gaps that too often leave families stranded: from helping cover therapy costs for uninsured or underinsured families to providing first responder autism training, education scholarships to guard against unemployment, and creating events where everyone feels a sense of belonging.
What Sets Us Apart:
What sets us apart is our holistic, “lived-experience” approach. We aren’t just a resource hub; we are the resource. AHP is a living, breathing movement shaped by the synergy of life experiences and the collective talents and resources of our community. We are unapologetically rooted in heroism, strength, and the conviction that autistic individuals are vital assets to our society. We are known for combining heart with strategy: storytelling that educates, advocacy that inspires, and programs that yield measurable change. Expanding our operations from Illinois to Florida has been a massive milestone, proving that the need for belonging is universal.
What I’m Most Proud Of (Brand-Wise):
I am most proud of our “Legacy of Love,” which shines when parents tell us their children have stopped self-injurious behaviors because they can now communicate their wants and needs—whether with words or speaking devices—or when a child says “I love you” for the first time. Hearing the emotion in their parents’ voices as they tell us these stories can’t help but move us to tears as well.
I am also proud of how our mission continues to evolve. Our partnerships with police departments through law enforcement training and our annual #HeroesUnite Autism Acceptance Celebrations, coupled with the Blue Envelope Program, are proof of that evolution.
Finally, I am especially proud of our storytelling documentaries and shorts, which are making a global impact on YouTube and were recently included in the Chicago Latino Film Festival.
What I Want Readers to Know:
I want your readers to know that The Autism Hero Project is a village. Whether you are a parent looking for resources, a business owner wanting to be more inclusive, or a donor looking to make a generational impact, there is a place for you here.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
Something that might surprise people is that before any big event, keynote, or major meeting, I have a full preshow ritual. And yes, it’s a whole production.
I hype myself up.
I start with affirmations and a little self-talk to remind myself who I am, whose I am, where I come from, and where I’m going. Then comes the playlist. It can move from Dax’s “God’s Eyes” or “God Only Knows” by For King & Country to Eminem’s “Lose Yourself” real quick. And don’t be surprised if some powerful Latin anthems make the cut too. I contain multitudes.
Music grounds me in faith, grit, and fire all at once.
Then comes the red lipstick.
Wearing red lipstick reminds me of my feminine power. It centers me in strength, boldness, and confidence. It’s my quiet reminder not to shrink. Not to dilute the message. Not to apologize for the impact I intend to make. There’s something powerful about drawing attention to your mouth when your voice carries purpose.
After that, I say a prayer.
And then I look at myself and say, “Lights. Camera. Action. Let’s Gooooooooooooo!”
People see the stage presence. They see the leadership. They feel the energy. What they don’t see is the woman backstage reminding herself that she was built for this moment… and probably checking for the sweat stains in my armpits.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.autismheroproject.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/autismheroproject/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/autismheroproject/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-autism-hero-project
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@autismheroproject
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@autismheroproject
Image Credits
TWIN BLISS PHOTOGRAPHY
DAISY JIMENEZ – DAI BRAND
