Carla D. Lankford

Carla D. Lankford is a visionary leader, real estate developer, and passionate advocate for the empowerment of young women worldwide. She serves as the Campus Kings & Queens CARES Official National Partner of the National CARES Mentoring Movement—a nationally recognized initiative dedicated to healing, restoring, and uplifting Black children and communities through mentoring and community engagement.

Carla is also the founder of Global Girl Voyagers (GGV), a Dallas-based nonprofit organization committed to developing bold, purpose-driven young women through travel, mentorship, and discipleship. Through its signature G.L.O-Up Mentoring Program, Carla transforms lives by exposing girls to global travel, cultural experiences, and Kingdom identity.
Her commitment to empowering women began during her time as Miss Tennessee State University (2003–2004), where her platform focused on suicide prevention among young women entering college. This pivotal work planted the seed for her lifelong dedication to mentorship and advocacy.

While pursuing her Master of Divinity, Carla interned as a chaplain at Metro State Women’s Prison, supporting incarcerated women living with HIV/AIDS. She was awarded a competitive fellowship from the Office of Black Women in Church & Society, which enabled her to design a mentoring program for pregnant high school girls.
Her mission-driven leadership expanded in Miami, Florida, where she worked with Urgent Inc., training teen girls to develop and advocate for policies addressing dating violence in public schools. These transformative experiences laid the foundation for the launch of Global Girl Voyagers.

Beyond her nonprofit and mentoring efforts, Carla has achieved notable success as a real estate agent and developer in the Dallas–Fort Worth area. Known for her unique ability to build both people and properties, she is deeply committed to revitalizing neighborhoods and helping families find their forever homes.

Above all, Carla is a proud mother of five—four of whom are daughters-she and her husband, Cedric, strive to live a life rooted in faith, leadership, and legacy, serving as powerful role models for their family and the next generation.

Carla holds a Master of Divinity from the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta, Georgia, and a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Tennessee State University. She is also a Certified Professional Life Coach.