Te’Jal Cartwright

Owner and Lead Storytelling Coach, Lore Storytelling 

Te’Jal Cartwright is the owner and lead storytelling coach of Lore Storytelling and a Kettering Foundation 2025 Dayton Democracy Fellow. She has always believed in the power of storytelling to connect people and create change. In 2018, she launched What’s the Biz with TJ, a digital platform that amplified the voices of over 100 Black-owned businesses, helping them build visibility and foster stronger community ties. Her love for storytelling deepened when she joined Lore as a digital strategist, eventually becoming its sole owner in 2024. Under Cartwright’s leadership, Lore empowers individuals and organizations to use storytelling as a tool to connect, solve problems, and inspire action. Her work includes boardrooms, classrooms, and even prisons, where she has facilitated projects such as StoryChain, allowing incarcerated parents to record stories for their children. Her other collaborations with organizations like Project Jericho, the Hope Center, and Co-op Dayton, demonstrate her ability to use storytelling to strengthen communities. She believes storytelling strengthens democracy by helping people connect with themselves, engage with their communities, and address challenges collectively. Cartwright also serves as cochair of the Spectrum New Beginnings board and is an active member of the Montgomery County Jail Coalition, advocating for systemic change and community uplift. A University of Dayton graduate, Cartwright continues to help clients share their stories, build meaningful connections, and create a lasting impact, one story at a time.