Candice Marie Benbow is a multi-hyphenate creative who situates her work at the intersections of faith, feminism and culture—giving voice to Black women’s shared experiences of healing and journeying toward wholeness. Reimagining how faith can be a tool of liberation and transformation for women and girls, she challenges Black women to think critically about how they see God, themselves and the world.

Named by Sojourners as one of “10 Christian Women Shaping the Church in 2020”, Candice has written for various outlets including ESSENCE Magazine, Glamour Magazine, The Root, theGrio, VICE, Shondaland, MadameNoire and the Me Too Movement. Her best-selling first book, Red Lip Theology: For Church Girls Who’ve Considered Tithing to the Beauty Supply Store When Sunday Morning Isn’t Enough was released in 2022 and selected as an Amazon Editor’s Pick.

Candice is also a highly sought-after celebrity ghostwriter and a Literary Agent with Gardner Literary Agency, where she champions African-American and women authors.

Committed to faith and gender equity, Candice is proud to be a 2021 participant in the Brookings Institution and Rockefeller Foundation’s flagship program, 17 Rooms, an experimental method for advancing the economic, social, and environmental priorities embedded in the world’s Sustainable Development Goals. Specifically, Candice participated in Room 5, which focused on assembling and communicating a case for faith to advance gender equality. From that experience, Candice became the Lead Consultant for “Women Leading Change”—a two day virtual convening for women and allies leading change in faith contexts around the world. The inaugural convening was held March 30-31, 2022.

Candice has worked with several national brands and organizations, including Walmart, Target, Netflix, SONY, The Ad Council, McDonald’s and Amazon, to amplify the voices of Black women and other marginalized communities.

In May 2016, following the release of Beyoncé’s visual album Lemonade, Candice created the #LemonadeSyllabus hashtag and social media campaign. With contributions from over 70 Black women, Candice released the syllabus as a free downloadable resource of over 250 works centered around the lives of Black women.

In memory of her mother, Candice established The LouiseMarie Foundation. Focusing on faith and education, the Foundation supports HBCU nursing students, provides micro grants for community mental health projects and creates opportunities for spiritual growth and development.

A member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Candice holds degrees from Tennessee State University, North Carolina Central University and Duke Divinity School. She, along with her beloved beagle Charlie, call metro Atlanta home.