David D. Marshall, CPC, is the Founder and CEO of Journey to Josiah, Inc., a nationally recognized nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering 2SLGBTQIA+ youth in foster care through trauma-informed coaching, education, and advocacy. He is also the Founder and Principal Life Coach of The Purpose Room Life Coaching LLC, where he helps individuals align with purpose, healing, and personal transformation. David is the author of Getting to Happy: A Journal of Purpose and Joy and the soon-to-be released Happiness in Hard Seasons. He is also a proud member of the International Association of Professional Recovery Coaches (IAPRC).
David is additionally the creator, trainer, and writer of the A.C.C.E.S.S. Training Model™, an identity-affirming framework designed to support professionals working with LGBTQIA+ youth in foster care. The training equips agencies, educators, and service providers with tools to create safer, more inclusive, and trauma-informed environments for youth. The A.C.C.E.S.S. Training Model™ was recently launched through the Morgan State University School of Social Work as part of the organization’s continued commitment to advancing culturally competent child welfare practices.
David holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Vocal Performance and Musicology from the University of Maryland Baltimore County and a Master of Music Degree in Vocal Performance from Shenandoah Conservatory.
David began his professional career as a music educator in the Archdiocese of Baltimore before later teaching in the Baltimore City Public School System. After five years in the classroom, he moved to New York City in 2009 to pursue a professional operatic career, performing both principal and ensemble roles with Bronx Opera, Garden State Opera, and Opera Ebony, while also maintaining an extensive concert and recital career.
In 2013, David returned to Baltimore and resumed teaching music before transitioning into business leadership. In 2017, he became President and CEO of Marshall Jr. Inc., his family’s 70-year-old refuse removal company and the oldest Black-owned refuse removal company in Baltimore County, Maryland. Under his leadership, the company expanded employment opportunities with a special focus on reentry citizens. David is a firm believer in second chances and worked to create pathways for employment and advancement for those often overlooked. His efforts earned him recognition as Employer of the Year by the Henrietta Lacks Legacy Group in 2017, as well as respect for his role as a facilitator during Baltimore City’s inaugural “Work Baltimore” initiative.
In April 2017, David became the adoptive father of his son, Josiah. That life-changing moment became the foundation for what he now considers his true calling. Adoption and foster care quickly became David’s passion, ultimately leading him to found Journey to Josiah, Inc. in March 2021, named in honor of his son.
A world where 2SLGBTQIA+ youth thrive in safe, affirming spaces surrounded by a community empowered to support them.
Journey to Josiah empowers 2SLGBTQIA+ youth in foster care, strengthens communities, and increases opportunities for adoption and fostering by providing safe, trauma-informed coaching, education, and advocacy.
Since its founding, Journey to Josiah has received both national and local recognition, including features in People Magazine and GMA3, as well as receiving the 2023 Baltimore Change Makers Award. The organization also conducts workshops with agencies and organizations through its program, Inclusiveness Makes the World Go Round, equipping professionals with tools to better serve and support 2SLGBTQIA+ youth and families.
David is an active member of the Harford County Chapter of the NAACP and serves on the Citizens Review Board for Children in the State of Maryland, where he advocates for permanence, stability, and equity for children in foster care.
David lives his life guided by the words of one of his favorite songs:
“If I can help somebody as I pass along, then my living shall not be in vain.”
