Attorney, author, actress, and award-winning TV producer Juanita Ingram was recently crowned Mrs. Universe by the Ms. World Corporation (“MWI”) in Miami, Florida. With over 75 contestants representing their countries from all over the world, Ingram is the first Black Woman in history to be crowned the title.
A native of Tennessee, Ingram now resides in Singapore with her husband and two children. She is the creator, star, and executive producer of The Expats International Ingrams — a family-friend docuseries that can be streamed on platforms such as Amazon Prime and Roku.
“I am honored to win this title and grateful to my husband, children, family, friends, and pageant coach Kyle Ean Haggerty for believing in me and supporting me,” says Ingram. “Pageantry with purpose is powerful. Currently, I am working on a new special series titled ‘Beyond Beauty’ that will be released in late November, showcasing the Ms/Mrs pageant genre as well as the confidence-building and positive aspects of pageantry.”
Ingram’s pageantry journey didn’t begin when she was crowned Mrs. Universe, she was the first African American woman to compete and win the title of Mrs. Indiana in 2007. In 2011, she was Mrs. Great Britain World, 2012 Mrs. World International, 2013 Mrs. UK Universe, and placed in the top three at nationals for Mrs. UK International. She also was selected by MadameNoir as one of the top seven Black women in pageantry to turn her beauty into business, along with names like Halle Berry, Oprah Winfrey, and Vanessa Williams.
Traveling the world Ingram has lived in London and Taiwan. She is also the CEO/Founder of Purpose Production Inc., which is an international award-winning, women-led production company that’s focused on creating content that’ll celebrate authentic BIPOC narratives to empower women and youth through film.
Her accolades don’t stop there, Ingram is set to receive her certification in film and television business from NYU Film School, a U.S. licensed attorney, and former adjunct professor of Business Law. Capping off her amazing accomplishments, in 2021 Ingram was a recipient of Ruby Hurley Ambassador NAACP image Award for her work in film and international women’s empowerment.
Wearing many hats, newly crowned as Mrs. Universe 2022, Ingram will dedicate her year promoting a global charity by the name of ‘Dress for Success’. This charity resides in 144 cities and 23 countries with the purpose of empowering women to become economically independent by providing resources like interview attire, training, and consistent support.
