Turning Love Into Work That Matters.

About Alexus

Background & Experience

Alexus Smiley is the founder of The Smiley Foundation, a North Minneapolis rooted nonprofit created in honor of her brother, Neko Smiley.

With a background in psychology, mental health case management, education, healthcare, and community engagement, Alexus has spent her career helping people navigate systems, access support, and advocate for what they need. Her experiences have shown her how often individuals and families, especially within Black communities, are expected to manage grief, mental health challenges, and barriers to care without enough support.

The Smiley Foundation brings together Alexus's personal story, professional experience, and commitment to her community. Her vision is to build an organization that creates honest conversations, strengthens families, increases awareness, and helps people feel seen before they reach a crisis.

For Alexus, this work is deeply personal. The Smiley Foundation carries her family's name, reflects the values that have always held them together, and honors a brother whose life continues to shape its purpose.

A Message From Alexus

I created The Smiley Foundation because I know what it means to love someone deeply and wish you could have seen what they were carrying behind their smile.

My brother Neko was smart, creative, loving, funny, and full of life. He made music, loved fitness, stayed dressed, brought energy into every room, and touched more people than he probably ever realized. I refuse to let the way he died become the most important thing people know about him.

This foundation is my family's way of carrying his love forward. It is also my commitment to helping other people feel seen, heard, and supported while they are still here.

I do not have every answer, and this foundation is only beginning. But I know the power of family, honest conversation, community, and showing up for people. That is where this work starts.