What happens when someone stays: joi’s story

Joi Taylor Johnson Didn’t Just Stay in Memphis—She Built Something That Lasts

Every city has people who leave a mark. Fewer leave something that keeps marking lives long after they’ve moved on.

Joi Taylor did both.

After college, Joi watched most of her classmates head for bigger cities—Nashville, Atlanta, beyond. But one moment changed her path: a connection with an alumni counselor who introduced her to City Leadership. That meeting not only shaped her future—it helped shape the future of Memphis because Joi decided to stay in this city. And in staying, she built something powerful.

What began in 2017 as a vague hope—a “what if”—became, through her drive and passion, the Choose901 Alumni program. At first, it was just an idea: what if we kept investing in students after they graduated? What if we gave them more reasons to stay in Memphis, to lead here, to belong?

Joi turned those questions into action.

She saw young alumni not just as graduates, but as a vital community. She believed they deserved more—real connections, real opportunity, and real support. And she made sure they got it.

Over the next seven years, Joi poured herself into building a program that became so much more than that. It became a network. A movement. A story that rewrote what it means to grow up in Memphis and choose to stay.

By 2024, thanks to her, hundreds—and then thousands—of young leaders had found purpose, jobs, friendships, and a deeper love for this city. Many who could have left stayed. Others who had left came back. All because someone believed in them.

That’s the power of presence. The impact of sticking around—not just in a place, but with people.

Her story isn’t just about a program. It’s about what happens when someone sees potential and says:

“This city matters. And so do the people in it.”