Onbrand

Ciera Payton is an actress (Wendy Williams: The Move and Tyler Perry's The Oval), writer, and changemaker who has brought her talent and passion for storytelling to both stage and screen. She is also the founder of The Michael’s Daughter Foundation (MDF), a nonprofit organization based in Los Angeles that provides free and low-cost enrichment programs to youth and families in under-resourced communities, with a special focus on those impacted by incarceration. Through cornerstone programs such as the Dream Forward Arts Residency and Money Talks Financial Literacy, MDF fosters well-being, inspires creativity, and equips young people with real-world skills that open doors to opportunity. The organization also provides scholarships and emergency funds to students facing hardship.

Growing up with an incarcerated father, Ciera found healing and empowerment through the arts, and she created MDF to extend that same opportunity to others. Today, she continues to balance her career in film and television with her commitment to building brighter futures for the next generation.