The Boss Up! Initiative originally started as Boss Up! a proposed student organization on the campus of North Carolina A&T in 2016. Co-founders, Keonia Rodgers and Destiny McElroy (both out-of-state students), wanted to graduate from A&T by leaving a positive impact. Evolve, Motivate, Impact became their platform. They wanted to assist each other and other women by unlocking their greatest potential. Unfortunately, due to discrepancies with Administrators of Student Organizations, they were unable to get their idea approved. Keonia Rodgers continued on the vision by creating The Boss Up! Initiative using her ambassadorship as a White House HBCU All-Star.