Welcome back to Spotlight Hustle, where we celebrate Black women making bold moves in life and business.
Today, we’re spotlighting Dr. Abigail Joseph, educator, innovator, and founder of The Innovation Doctor. Her story reminds us that healing and creativity are not side notes to success. They are the path.
What’s Inside Today’s Newsletter
- Free Ticket Alert → Claim your spot at the Top 100 Most Powerful Women Summit (yes, it’s free!)
- Feature Story → Abigail’s journey: from playful beginnings to becoming The Innovation Doctor
- Wisdom & Advice → Myths she’s breaking, lessons for multipassionate women, and what she’d tell her younger self
- The Becoming → How play, resilience, and creativity shaped her purpose
- Daily Practices → The rituals and small joys that keep her grounded
- Vision Forward → Abigail’s bold mission to hatch 1,000,000 ideas and build a legacy of joyful innovation
- Rapid-Fire Round → Rituals, mantras, and the little things that keep her curious
- Summit Spotlight → Why we can’t wait to hear Abigail live at the Top 100 Most Powerful Women Summit
Quick One: Your Ticket Is On Us!
Tickets to the Top 100 Most Powerful Women Summit are FREE this year!
This is your chance to connect with powerhouse women, hear inspiring stories like Dr. Abigail Joseph’s, and walk away with strategies to transform your business and life.
👉 Reserve your free spot now.
Forward this to a sister or colleague who needs to be there.
Feature Story: Abigail’s Journey
Abigail’s story begins with play.
Born in Canada, raised in New Jersey, and deeply tied to Trinidad & Tobago through her parents’ immigrant roots, she grew up surrounded by culture, faith, and family. Summers were spent between countries, cousins, and traditions. There was always a rhythm of community: aunties in Canada, cousins in Trinidad, and a household where food, music, and storytelling created belonging.
At home, curiosity reigned. She experimented with a Holly Hobby oven, tried spin art and baking, played Atari with her brother, and learned photography alongside her father. Her mom was both a nurse and an artist with yarn, crocheting vibrant patterns that reminded Abigail that creativity had no bounds. These were not just hobbies; they were early lessons that logic and imagination were not opposites but partners.
As a young Black girl in advanced STEM classes, Abigail often felt the sting of being “the only one.” There were moments of silence, of not being seen, of shrinking her brilliance to make others comfortable. Yet those experiences planted a fire, a determination to prove that her place in science and technology was not just valid but essential.
Encouraged by teachers who noticed her dual gifts, Abigail leaned into both STEM and the arts, refusing to choose one over the other. That path led her to pursue higher education at the highest levels, ultimately earning her doctorate in computer science.
But success, as many women know, does not come without cost. For Abigail, the pace of academia and professional achievement led to seasons of burnout. In those moments, she reached back to the foundation that had carried her all along: play, joy, curiosity. She began to see that healing was not about stopping. It was about reawakening the very practices that made her whole.
That realization gave birth to The Innovation Doctor. Today, Abigail’s work is dedicated to helping multipassionate women bring their ideas to life without abandoning themselves. Through her platform and The Hatchery community, she invites women to give themselves permission to play, create, and experiment, because some of the best breakthroughs are born in joy.
Her mantra: Play. Be joyful. Wonder.
Abigail is proof that ambition and joy do not compete. They fuel one another.
Wisdom & Advice
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On setbacks: “I treat them as experiments. Instead of seeing failure as final, I ask: What did I learn? How can I pivot?”
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To her younger self: “Don’t wait for permission. You don’t have to pick just one lane. Start small, trust yourself, and keep moving.”
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Biggest myth to bust: Success is not a solo act. Community, collaboration, and mentorship are non-negotiable.
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What women in business should know: Creativity is not a side dish. It is your superpower.
Daily Practice
The rhythms that keep Abigail grounded:
- Walks at sunrise with audiobooks and podcasts
- Whiteboard brainstorming to hatch ideas in real time
- Check-ins with trusted peers for accountability
- Tea rituals: green in the morning, herbal in the afternoon
“Balance is not about equal time. It is about intentional choices. Rest fuels the hustle. Play makes the work sustainable.”
Vision Forward
Abigail’s vision is as bold as her spirit: to help hatch 1,000,000 audacious ideas.
Her next chapter includes:
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Growing The Hatchery, her community for multipassionate women entrepreneurs
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Designing workshops that turn ideas into real-world action
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Expanding opportunities for women to take creative sabbaticals
Her ultimate goal: success without sacrificing joy.
Rapid-Fire Round
- Coffee or tea? → Green tea, then coffee. Tea in the afternoon.
- Morning person or night owl? → Morning, always!
- One word for this season → Becoming
- Favorite activity → Dancing
Over to You
What part of Abigail’s journey resonated with you most?
Hit reply and let me know. I’d love to hear.
And if you know someone who needs this story today, forward it along.
Why We’re Excited
Dr. Abigail Joseph is more than a computer scientist and educator. She is a creativity catalyst.
At the Top 100 Most Powerful Women Summit, she will share her journey of innovation, resilience, and the radical power of play.
🎟️ Tickets are free. 👉 Save your spot now
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