Lance Woods was born and raised on the west side of Detroit and is a proud graduate of Northwestern High School. He went on to study at Tennessee State University earning a degree in Business Administration with concentration in E-Business & Supply Chain Management. His passion led him back to Detroit to become a mentor and community leader. He has been able to do so by focusing on Community Development / Health & Wellness. Lance began running in 2015 and could barely complete a mile. Since then he has become an elite marathoner qualifying for The Boston Marathon four times with a personal best of 2:47:15. Lance is a committed member of several organizations including Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated; Northwestern Alumni Association, Tennessee State University Alumni Association, Coleman A. Young Foundation & Black Male Engagement (BMe). Lance has received several awards for his civic engagement. He was honored by the President Obama administration at the White House along with 62 other men with the President’s Volunteer Community Service Award. He also received the Community Champion Award for displaying exceptional leadership and commitment to building a more caring and prosperous community in Detroit. He is a 2x recipient of The Spirit of Detroit award and also received a Special Tribute from the State of Michigan. Most recently, he received an award for African American Achievement from the International Institute of Metropolitan Detroit for outstanding contribution to the enrichment of community and more specifically African American heritage.