Meet Nakeenya Wilson | Social Justice & Equity Entrepreneur, Advocate, Activist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Nakeenya Wilson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Nakeenya, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
First off, I didn’t really know I was starting a business, lol! As a Black mom in a city with a decreasing and geographically dispersed Black population, I was feeling disconnected and isolated. I started a FB group to connect with other Black mamas and it just mushroomed to become what is now a 501c3 and a physical location as of October 2023. The experience of our members was the same in many ways. So many of us are living in neighborhoods and sending our kids to schools were we and our kiddos are one of the only Black faces. Many of us also don’t have extended family and as a result have limited social support. I wanted to create a village to provide the connection and belonging that is absent for many Black mamas and families in the Austin-area.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
First of all, I am a serial entrepreneur. The unique thing about all of my projects (businesses) is that many of them do not generate revenue for me. I am a consultant and that’s how I pay my bills. Adroit consultancy is my official revenue generating business. I provide strategic advisory services in various areas of expertise, to include maternal health and birth justice and equity, leadership, community engagement, philanthropic practices, organizing, power building, and advocacy. In addition to this, I am the founder of a non-profit, Black Mamas Village, and founder and co-owner of The Village Place, a project of the non-profit. I do not make money from BMV and TVP, in fact, I have invested in it significantly, with the goal to establish them as self-sustaining organizations that benefit the community. There are many people who don’t necessarily understand why I spend so much of my time doing something like this, but I see it as imperative. If I want to experience something different for myself and my community, then I have to do my part to create solutions. It would be nice to sit back an expect other people with resources and power to do it, but unfortunately, the priority is different for those not directly impacted by the absence of such services and work. I have also chosen to be selective about what types of funding we accept and who we partner with, to ensure that we center Black mothers and families and do not assume the burden of excessive impact measurements. We are solving problems that we didn’t create and therefore I want to do it with as must ease and trust as possible. Practically, this means that I focus on “no strings attached” or unrestricted funding. I also allow for contributions of all kinds, including time-banking and crowd-funding of any amount. I believe that everyone has something to give and everything we need to make positive change is already present within our village.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I would definitely have them check out my business, The Village Place. It’s a home a way from home, to connect, co-work, and get free coffee! I also would have them visit some of the local black-owned businesses. Good places to eat TaterQue (best wings ever and Sunday Funday is amazing), Y’alls, Austin’s Very Own Saltt, Whip My Soul, and Canje. You should also stop by Black Pearl Books, The Carver Museum, RichesArt Gallery, and Huston-Tillotson University(MLK festival and Earth Day are great events). I thoroughly enjoy hanging out at Pflugerville Lake and taking my kiddos to Play for All Abilities Park and Kalahari Resort in Round Rock. If there are no kids involved, the Kalahari Day Spa, is hands down one of the best ways to spend a day. It’s also cool to go to the various events in Old Settlers Park (Juneteenth Rhythm and Ribs festival) and the Round Rock Express baseball games (Friday games in the summer have fireworks). On Sundays, the Farmer’s Market in Mueller is one of the BEST in the country.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would like to shout out to the Black Mamas Village leadership team and volunteers. We will be five years old in June and everything we have been able to accomplish has been the result of the collective time, talent, and treasure of Black mamas in our group. We are 100% volunteer run and these women are giving of themselves while navigating their professional careers, parenting, and all of the many invisible aspects of being a Black mother. All that we have accomplished has been a result of mutual aid, solidarity economics, and volunteerism. In particular, shout out to Danielle Arnold, Jennifer Dungey, Ashley Perryman, Tina Clark, Mandy Clark, and Keelee Moseley.

Image Credits
Nakeenya Wilson