My name is Yvonne C. Withers, and I am honored to serve as the President of the Long Beach Chapter of
the Southern California Black Chamber of Commerce. I became a member of the Long Beach Chapter in
2021, and in January 2026, I was elected to lead this incredible organization.
My journey has not been traditional. I became a mother at 15 years old, and much of my early life was
lived in survival mode. While my path didn’t include a conventional academic trajectory, it forged
something equally valuable: real-world experience, resilience, and an unwavering work ethic. Those
early challenges shaped me into the woman and leader I am today. I am the proud mother of four amazing
adult children, and family remains the foundation of everything I do.
I have over 41 years of experience caring for children and 27 years of professional experience in the
childcare industry. Serving families and supporting youth development has been both my career and my
calling.
Philanthropy has also been central to my life for more than 25 years. My family and I have consistently
given back to our communities in Long Beach, Lakewood, and surrounding areas by providing holiday
meals during Thanksgiving and Christmas and donating essential items to women in shelters. For over a
decade, I worked closely with my oldest son’s organization, the Marcedes Lewis Foundation;
coordinating ten annual youth football camps at California State University, Long Beach and Long Beach
Polytechnic High School. These camps served hundreds of youth each year, growing from 368
participants in our first year to more than 500 in subsequent years. I also organized eight annual casino
night fundraising events to support the camps and participated in sailing events benefiting youth in
partnership with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America through the Long Beach Yacht Club.
In 2016, I made the decision to scale back my philanthropic work to pursue a lifelong dream of opening a
preschool. After nearly three years navigating regulatory challenges, my then business partner and I
proudly opened Kidszone Preschool Academy in May 2019, serving children from three months to five
years old.
I am also the founder of Kidszone Visitation Services, established in 2017. In 2019, I began training
others to start and operate their own supervised visitation businesses, helping expand opportunities for
entrepreneurship. Additionally, I launched Long Beach Live Scan Fingerprinting & Notary in 2020 and
Riverside Live Scan Fingerprinting & Notary in 2022, further expanding my business portfolio before
closing those ventures in 2025 to realign my focus and priorities.
As President of the Long Beach Chapter, I lead with authenticity, compassion, and practical business
experience. I understand firsthand the challenges entrepreneurs face because I have built brick and mortar
businesses from the ground up. I believe leadership is not defined by titles or degrees, but by service,
integrity, and impact.
I am excited about this new chapter and look forward to strengthening our business community,
empowering Black entrepreneurs, and building meaningful partnerships throughout our region.