A Portrait of Strength
I have always been drawn to stories where grace is forged in the fire. Tamu Lewis embodies that kind of grace. An accomplished HR professional and mental health advocate, she is best known publicly as the sister of the late actor Lee Thompson Young. Yet her own journey stands on steady ground, built on expertise, compassion, and an unwavering commitment to improving the way we talk about and care for mental health. Today, Tamu serves as Director of People Strategy at KPMG, specializing in compensation and performance management. Outside the corporate sphere, she co-leads a mission that transforms grief into service.
Roots and Early Years
Tamu’s early life details are intentionally quiet, a reminder that not every chapter needs a spotlight. She appears to have been born around 1974, likely in Columbia, South Carolina, where her family’s ties and memories are deeply rooted. After her parents’ divorce around 1990, Columbia became a central backdrop to her upbringing. It is there, amid the ordinary rhythms of life, that she grew alongside her younger brother, Lee, who would later step into national recognition. She remains private about personal matters, and that choice feels both intentional and wise. In an era of constant exposure, she holds the boundary lines of family with care.
Education and Professional Ascent
When I study a career like Tamu’s, I see a clear arc of competence. She earned a BS in Finance from the University of South Carolina, then completed an MBA at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Those academic pillars set the stage for more than two decades of human resources leadership. Tamu’s expertise rests in compensation strategy, performance management, and the complex machinery that powers people operations.
From 2009 to 2017, she held a significant role at Americold, implementing and administering SuccessFactors modules for performance, compensation, goals, and succession planning. That kind of work demands both precision and perspective, the ability to knit together technology, policy, and human needs. Today at KPMG, she designs and guides people strategy initiatives. Her daily work is part architect, part navigator, building frameworks that help organizations reward, develop, and retain talent. She is also a member of professional HR communities, reinforcing a commitment to ongoing learning in a field that never sits still.
From Personal Loss to Public Advocacy
The summer of 2013 changed everything. On August 19, Tamu’s brother, actor Lee Thompson Young, died by suicide at age 29. Lee had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, a condition he struggled with privately. The family’s heartbreak became a call to action, and in March 2014, Tamu co-founded the Lee Thompson Young Foundation with her mother. Their mission is clear and compassionate: promote mental health literacy, reduce stigma, and help people understand mental illness as a treatable biological disorder.
I find the foundation’s focus deeply practical. It looks at mental health as something people can learn, practice, and support, not as a shadow to be ignored. In 2022, Tamu extended that work in her book, Surviving the Mental Health Tank, which offers keys to cultivating emotional well-being for everyday life. She backs her advocacy with training, including certifications as a Mental Health First Aider, Certified Life Coach, Certified Breathwork Coach, Positive Discipline Parent Educator, and multiple HR credentials like CCP, CBP, and PHR. Together, they reflect a professional who builds bridges between boardrooms and healing circles.
Family Members Who Shape the Story
Family threads stitch this narrative together, even when those threads are held gently. Tamu’s mother, Dr. Velma Love, is a co-founder of the foundation and a vital partner in its vision. Raised in Columbia, their family story includes an honest acknowledgment of change and resilience following the divorce. Dr. Love’s presence brings wisdom to the work, emphasizing education and community care.
Tamu’s father, Tommy Scott Young, is known publicly only in outline. He does not appear actively involved in current advocacy efforts, a detail that simply acknowledges a quiet chapter rather than implying judgment. Her brother, Lee, remains a luminous figure in memory. Best known for The Famous Jett Jackson and later Rizzoli and Isles, he was ambitious and caring, a bright talent whose private struggle is honored through the foundation’s mission. Occasionally, public records suggest possible extended relatives, such as Jesse Lewis and Angela Lewis, but these connections are unconfirmed. Tamu’s privacy keeps speculation at arm’s length, and rightly so.
A Quiet Personal Life
Sometimes silence speaks volumes. There are no confirmed public details about a spouse or children, and Tamu seems to prefer it that way. In a world that often demands every personal note be shared, she chooses to center her public presence on advocacy, education, and professional impact. She lets her work tell the story. That restraint gives the narrative clarity and keeps the focus on the issues she is working to change.
Recent Activities and Digital Footprints
In recent years, Tamu’s public footprint remains pointed and purposeful. During 2024 and 2025, she participated in Give 8/28, a giving day that spotlights Black-led nonprofits, sharing the foundation’s updates and encouragement on social media. On Facebook, she highlighted a Mindfulness 2025 cohort for students focused on growth and balance, aligning with her coaching and mental health training. Major headlines are not the point here. Her updates are about practical steps, communal support, and the daily work of equipping people with tools to protect their well-being.
The Unseen Influence
What stands out to me is the way Tamu translates corporate fluency into human-centered advocacy. She understands systems, and she understands people. In her HR roles, she designs compensation philosophies and performance mechanisms that shape the employee experience. In her foundation work, she designs mental health conversations that shape how families and communities cope with stress, illness, and loss. If you look closely, you can see the patterns, like constellations in a clear night sky. Her professional mastery informs her public mission. Her personal story animates her professional values.
FAQ
When and where was Tamu Lewis born?
I do not have an exact date or birthplace to share. Based on family ties and public information, she appears to have been born around 1974, likely in Columbia, South Carolina. She has kept early details private, and that boundary is worth respecting.
What does Tamu Lewis do at KPMG?
Tamu is a Director of People Strategy at KPMG. She specializes in compensation and performance management, designing and implementing programs that align business goals with employee experience. Her role blends strategy, analytics, and human understanding.
What is the Lee Thompson Young Foundation?
The foundation was co-founded by Tamu and her mother in 2014 to honor Lee’s life and address the mental health needs he represented. Its mission is to promote mental health literacy, reduce stigma, and help communities view mental illness as a biological condition that is treatable. It focuses on education, resources, and supportive programming.
Did Tamu Lewis write a book?
Yes. In 2022, she published Surviving the Mental Health Tank, a guide built around practical keys to emotional well-being. The book reflects her lived experience and professional training, offering approachable tools for managing stress and nurturing resilience.
Who are Tamu Lewis’s family members?
Her immediate family includes her mother, Dr. Velma Love, a co-founder of the foundation, and her brother, actor Lee Thompson Young, who passed away in 2013. Her father, Tommy Scott Young, is part of their family history but has limited public presence. There are occasional mentions of possible extended relatives in public records, yet those are unconfirmed.
Why is mental health advocacy central to her work?
The loss of her brother reshaped her purpose, turning private pain into public service. Tamu works to make mental health literacy accessible, compassionate, and grounded in science. For her, advocacy is both legacy and commitment, a way to ensure that others have tools, language, and support that can save lives.
