I had never heard of period poverty before, but learning about that and the fact that the tampon tax existed in 40 states at the time ignited a fire in me — I knew I had to take action. So that year, I started what is now known as PERIOD.org, a nonprofit.
1. Tell us about your background and journey.
I’m Nadya Okamoto, and I’m 23 and am extremely passionate about democratizing access to period products, improving period care, and destigmatizing periods. August is a lifestyle brand working to reimagine periods. Everything we do is with, by, and for our community called the Inner Cycle.
2. How did you come up with this idea of menstrual hygiene and go about executing it?
I learned about period poverty in 2014 from hearing stories directly from homeless women about their experience not being able to afford period products. I had never heard of period poverty before, but learning about that and the fact that the tampon tax existed in 40 states at the time ignited a fire in me — I knew I had to take action. So that year, I started what is now known as PERIOD, a nonprofit. I led it as executive director until January 2020 before I began my journey focusing on August.
3. What has been your biggest challenge that you faced and how did you overcome that?
I am really proud of my mental health journey. This summer I learned that my complex PTSD is accompanied by dissociation and depersonalisation. Before this more specific diagnosis, I had never heard these words in the context of mental health, but the added vocabulary brought me an unexpected sense of calm. I don’t want to be defined by the conditions or disorders I have. I want to own and embrace them as emotional scars of what my trauma has left on me — scars that I am on a path to heal.
4. Throw some light on your book .What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your book?
I had to do extensive research in writing Period Power: A Manifesto for the Menstrual Movement. For me, the chapter I enjoyed writing the most because of how much I learned was about the history of commodification of period products — and how this is directly linked to understanding period stigma today.
This is a huge part of why I initially got passionate about breaking period stigma from the brand side as well — becauseIi saw how much the stigma was created and shaped by this industry and I believe that needs to change.
5. Which is your favourite book and why?
I absolutely love “100 Years of Solitude” by Gabriel García Márquez. This book really makes its readers question how we think about our own lives and fate, and pushes us to trust the process of life a little bit more and not focus so much on determining our future.
Nadya Okamoto is a 23-year-old Harvard student. In early 2020, Okamoto co-founded August, a lifestyle brand working to reimagine periods. As the Today Show describes, “August is a growing online community aiming to & quot;re-imagine and redefine the period experience to be powerful and dignified, & quot; with members who engage in conversations about how to properly use
menstrual cups or what it's like to be a transgender man having a period, for example.” Nadya Okamoto is also the Founder of PERIOD (period.org), an organization fighting to end period poverty and stigma that she founded at the age of 16. Under her leadership as Executive Director for five years, PERIOD addressed over 1.5 million periods and registered over 800 campus chapters in all 50 states and 50 other countries. In 2017, Nadya ran for public office in
Cambridge, MA at age 19 — at the time, becoming the youngest Asian American to run. In 2018, Nadya published her debut book, Period Power: A Manifesto for the Menstrual Movement with publisher Simon & Schuster, which made the Kirkus Reviews list for Best Young Adult Nonfiction of 2018. Nadya is also the former Chief Brand Officer and current Board Member of
JUV Consulting, a Generation Z marketing agency based in NYC. She has been recognized on the lists of Forbes 30 under 30, Bloomberg 50 “Ones to Watch '' and People Magazine Women Changing the World.
- Instagram: Nadya Okamoto
- Linkedin: Nadya O
- Interviewed By Pearlina Marie Rein
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