Daily Inspiration: Meet Myles Markham

Today we’d like to introduce you to Myles Markham.

Hi Myles, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My story lives at the intersection of faith, survival, re-indigenization, and systems change.
I grew up in conservative Christian communities in the Deep South that valued certainty over curiosity. From an early age, I saw how powerful belief could be, and the ways that religion can heal and how it can harm. When I began to understand myself as queer and later as transgender, the very spaces that formed me became places of deep tension. I experienced the quiet violence of theology used as a weapon and witnessed institutions prioritizing doctrine over people. That dissonance shaped me. It pushed me to ask not only who I was, but what kind of world I wanted to help build.
For a time, I tried to reconcile myself to environments that could not fully hold me. Ultimately, I chose integrity over approval. That decision brought tremendous grief, but it also gave me clarity. Spirituality, at its best, should always expand human dignity, not restrict it. Since then, my professional and much of my personal work has focused on transforming hearts, minds, and institutions so they—and we—can better reflect that truth.
Academically, my graduate studies in Practical Theology emphasized anti-colonial education design and deepened my commitment to dismantling harmful power structures and most of my career has centered on resourcing movements that protect and empower LGBTQ+ communities, while also building solidarity across intersecting justice movements. I work now for the Ms.Foundation for Women and have come to understand the fundraising I do not simply as revenue generation, but as a practice of aligning values, relationships, and resources toward collective liberation.
I have spent my entire adult life working remotely—from Topeka, Kansas, to Atlanta, Georgia, and eventually moved to Los Angeles in 2021, so I could surf and be closer to Hawai‘i. It is here that I began what may be the most important work of my life: reconnecting with my native lineages, stewarding those traditions for my family, and offering inspiration to other diasporic communities for whom “home” feels distant or elusive.
I am a fundraiser, a strategist, and a problem solver. But I am also a lover who is deeply committed to joy, whimsy, and, when the moment calls for it, being a delightfully silly goose.

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?
Beyond what I’ve already shared, some of my deepest struggles have come from confronting mortality and losing loved ones at an early age. As a trans pre-teen I was riddled with high-functioning depression and anxiety. I struggled with self-injury and didn’t have much hope for the future. Right as despair was really starting to have a toll on me, I lost a beloved basketball and softball coach to suicide who was like a second father to me and then lost my own father to cancer. These deaths back to back were a wake-up call that left an indelible mark on who I was becoming and reshaped my understanding of time. Before I even entered high school, I had decided I would live with great intention—to cultivate a sense of purpose and to treat each day as the gift it is.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Big picture, I specialize in strategic impact work at the intersection of social change, communications, and leadership development, partnering with artists, media producers, nonprofits, universities, faith communities, entrepreneurs, and cause-driven brands to advance enduring justice and equity. At a more granular level my expertise spans impact producing for mission-driven documentary films and podcasts, DEI leadership development and education, brand and communications consulting, fundraising and development strategy, live event management, and coalition building—all with the aim of reshaping narratives, expanding inclusion, and translating values into measurable impact. What sets me apart is how the life i’ve lived across multiple identities, genders, ethnicities, religions, and geopolitical histories has allowed me to combine systems-level thinking with grounded practice: I design multi-tiered strategies that not only raise awareness and inspire action but also cultivate transformative leadership, strengthen institutional capacity, and build cross-sector partnerships that move audiences and stakeholders toward shared goals. I bring a rare blend of creative intelligence, relational leadership, and practical execution that allows me to shape public narratives, mobilize resources, and drive collaborative change across cultural, organizational, and political spaces.

How do you think about happiness?
The ocean, my family, my friends, learning from my elders, learning about the land we live on and its native animals and plants, the girl gangs I formed in childhood, young adulthood, and still do at present. Bubble baths, bubbles in general, pop divas, being queer, being Hawaiian, being terrible at choreography, but loving what it means for me to dance hula anyways.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.mylesmarkham.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/a_million_myles/?hl=en
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/myles-markham/