Morning Light Alliance (MLA) focuses on empowering single parents and the opportunities that can come from collaboration. The origin story of MLA is rooted in the collaboration between Renae Buono, our founder and Executive Director, and Charlie Szoradi our Creative Director.
Our name, slogan and logo are the results of iterations that evolved through Renae and Charlie sharing each others passion, love for the sunrise and talents.
The name and slogan are about the opportunities that may come with each new day. “Morning Light” inspires and gives us peace as it rises; combined with “Alliance” representing strength in numbers rather than to go alone. “Empowering New Beginnings” is about the support MLA can provide each day.
The logo graphic is an abstraction of a rising sun over the oceans horizon, with the curved lines conveying the waves of challenges facing single parents.
This photo is from the New Jersey shore when Renae and Charlie were together and inspired by the colors and the powerful impact of sunrise.
Relationship Foundation
Renae and Charlie met over the fall of 2021 in the western suburbs of Philadelphia, through a group of friends that are single, divorced, or separated.
When they first met, Renae learned that Charlie had focused his career on sustainable design and agriculture technologies. The next day, she offered to coordinate a mid-day hike with a local park ranger for the two to meet before the Christmas holiday. Charlie offered to bring Renae lunch and join the hike, and when they arrived at the trail head, there was no park ranger in sight or communications from him to cancel. They decided together to take the opportunity to spend an hour on the trail and get to know each other for a great first “non-date.” It turned out later that the park ranger had to take his parents in for a Covid-19 check and apologized later for the lack of communication.
On the first official dinner “date”, Charlie asked Renae about her passion and what she would do if money was no object. Renae spoke about what was close to her heart which was setting up a non-profit organization to support single mothers, given the challenges that she faced herself as a single mother of 16 year old son.
On the second date, Charlie surprised Renae by asking her to look at her phone. He sent her the mock-up for the website and branding, that he had worked multiple hours on as the precursor to the current Moring Light Alliance. She was pleased, speechless and emotional. These first three times they spent with each other set in motion the collaboration for MLA as well as the foundation for Renae and Charlie as a couple to thrive together.