Te'Jal Cartwright, Owner and Story Coach
Te’Jal Cartwright has built a career that weaves together media, community advocacy, and the transformative power of storytelling. She is an award-winning journalist, an entrepreneur, and the proud owner of Lore, a company dedicated to teaching the art of storytelling to inspire action and foster authentic connections.
​
Te’Jal’s storytelling journey began with What’s the Biz with TJ, a digital platform she launched in 2018 to highlight Black-owned businesses across the nation. Over four seasons, she amplified the stories of more than 100 businesses, earning recognition for her ability to connect audiences and drive impact.
​
In 2018, Te’Jal joined Lore as a digital strategist, where her expertise in media and marketing helped storytellers refine their narratives and share them widely. The shift to lead story coach in 2021 allowed Te’Jal to dive deeper into helping individuals and organizations tell stories that resonate. By 2024, she became the sole owner of Lore, turning it into a space where stories transform lives, businesses, and communities.
​
Te’Jal’s work goes far beyond the stage. She has collaborated with organizations like Project Jericho, The Hope Center, and Co-op Dayton, using storytelling to empower individuals to elevate their voices and tackle challenges collectively. Through her work with StoryChain, she helped incarcerated parents record stories for their children, proving that stories can heal and connect even in the most difficult circumstances.
​
Today, Te’Jal leads Lore with a vision rooted in community, connection, and creativity. Her mission is simple: to help people discover the power of their own stories and use them to build relationships, solve problems, and create meaningful change.
Bridget Flaherty, Story Consultant
Bridget Flaherty has a successful career in Information Technology and Business Process Improvement and she is a Storyteller. Odd combination? Yes. And it makes her uniquely qualified to teach storytelling for business.
​
The first time that Bridget got on stage to tell a story, she won the competition. Instantly, she was hooked. She began traveling to share stories across the Midwest, including cities like Chicago, Pittsburgh, Ann Arbor, Detroit, Louisville, Cincinnati and Dayton.
​
Quickly, Bridget recognized how a captivating story can impact business success through effective leadership, captivating marketing, increased sales and clarified company culture. It was a natural fit. Marrying her more than 20 years of experience in business leadership with her passion for storytelling, Bridget developed a curriculum that makes sense for business professionals and she began to share the art of storytelling. LORE was born.
​
Bridget led storytelling workshops, small group sessions and provided one-on-one coaching for business professionals that desire to tell a captivating story. In 2024 Bridget stepped down as the owner of Lore to focus on the next chapter of her life. She still consults closely with the Lore team to support with workshops and continue her love of story sharing.
Taera Works, Efficiency Consultant
Taera Works is Lore’s Efficiency Consultant and a proud Lore graduate. She believes in the power of connecting through storytelling, a value she carries into both her professional and personal life. Born and raised in Dayton, Taera cherishes her community and finds joy in creating beautiful floral arrangements to share with friends and family.
​
In addition to her role at Lore, Taera works as a school-based therapist, where she is dedicated to supporting the emotional well-being and healing of students. Her deep commitment to social justice and equity drives her efforts to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health care within the Black community.
​
Taera seamlessly blends her organizational skills and genuine care for others in everything that she does. Her ability to hold space for healing and connection makes her an invaluable asset to our team. We are thrilled to have her as part of Lore, where her dedication and passion continue to inspire us all.
