2023 Fellow Focus: Aiyeshia Hudson-Wong + Liberation Journeys
Educator, student voice advocate, liberatory leader…2023 Fellow Aiyeshia Hudson-Wong of Liberation Journeys shares more about her journey as a social impact entrepreneur.
What life experiences propelled you into the entrepreneurial space and made you decide to be your own boss?
Over my 12-year tenure as a teacher and administrator, I experienced immense fulfillment in being able to co-design learning environments that centered Black joy, identity affirmation, and experiential learning. However, the never-ending struggle against entrenched racist structures and the tireless pursuit for approval, resources, and support to foster liberating spaces for Black and Brown students took a significant toll on my mental and physical health. After years of resisting policies designed to police Black and Brown bodies and marginalize student voice, and feeling unsupported, I made a decision to step back from my position as a school leader, entering a phase of healing and reflection.
During this time, I committed to prioritizing my wellness and setting the pace and terms of my work, including centering student voice and co-creating liberatory spaces with young people and educators. My experience working in schools didn't just spur a personal transformation; it also sparked an entrepreneurial drive within me. Transitioning to the realm of entrepreneurship gave me the latitude I longed for. By establishing and leading my own venture, I can now give life to my vision without constraints, allowing me to directly address the systemic issues I experienced firsthand.
What do you enjoy most about being a founder?
As a founder, what I enjoy most is the ability to bring my vision to life freely and in collaboration with young people and educators. It's about having the autonomy to directly challenge and transform the systemic issues I encountered during my time as a teacher and administrator and co-create solutions with those most impacted by inequity in schools. The joy comes from the realization that I now have the capacity to shape change according to my own discernment, together with young people and educators, at a pace that honors my wellness and values.
What do you wish someone had told you before you started your entrepreneurial journey?
If your budget doesn’t allow for hired talent, prioritize building a team of committed and skilled volunteers. As a founder, it's crucial to distinguish the responsibilities you need to shoulder from those you should delegate, to maintain your vitality and effectiveness as a leader. Particularly during the resource-constrained early stages of entrepreneurship, your success hinges heavily on your ability to cultivate a dedicated, vision-aligned team. Strategically sharing the workload with them is key to advancing the organization’s goals.
Tell us about an experience you had as an entrepreneur or in starting your company that exemplified one of Camelback's core values: "Belief in Mission + Vision"; "Unafraid of Failure"; "Constant Learner"; "Humble + Hungry"; and "Give First."
[Unafraid of Failure] In 2021, I took an uncharacteristic leap of faith by stepping down from my school leader role without a new job secured or a clear roadmap for the future. Historically, I've prioritized security and predictability over uncertainty and risk, never leaving a position before the next one was firmly in place. Yet, I recognized that this conservative approach no longer served me, and I needed a radically different approach to leadership and impact in this next phase of my career. Deciding to lean into over a decade of experience and draw on support from my community, I launched my own venture, fully aware of the risks and uncertainties that come along with entrepreneurship.
Despite earnest attempts to secure funding for my venture, I was initially unsuccessful. As my finances dwindled, I confronted the harsh possibility that I might not be able to persuade anyone of my idea's value and might need to settle for a less than desirable job to pay my bills. This was a risk I was willing to shoulder.
With every rejection email that landed in my inbox, I grew more comfortable with the idea of failure. It actually became a motivator, strengthening my resolve to better articulate the value of my venture and capacity to lead it. Striking out on my own was something I'd never done before, and when I finally secured seed funding, it was a major confidence boost. It validated my persistence and the innovation I was bringing to the table.
This entrepreneurial journey cast a light on how my fear of failure had previously constrained me. I realized I had been tailoring my pitches and grant applications to what I thought funders wanted to hear, rather than authentically communicating my vision. This fear had not only diluted the power of my messaging but had also delayed my entry into entrepreneurship. However, when I began to truly appreciate the inherent worth of my venture and my abilities as a leader - independent of external approval or funding - that's when my fear of failure began to lose its grip, and I began to embody the confidence needed to compel others to invest in me.
How do you stay motivated?
The urgent need to center student voice and co-create the school experience with young people fuels my motivation. We are in a critical juncture in reimagining schools, and it is imperative that decision makers employ equitable processes for authentically and sustainably engaging young people and developing their leadership during this crucial phase in the movement for educational equity.
Let's talk about your legacy. How do you hope your venture will make the world a better place generations from now?
My hope is that Liberation Journeys cultivates the next wave of young Black leaders and educators who will inspire and lead movements that advance the collective liberation of students, educators, and school systems.
What's your favorite book or podcast that you draw entrepreneurial inspiration from?
Lead from the Outside by Stacey Abrams was pivotal in helping me learn how to give myself permission to lead on my own terms and define the impact I desire to have as an entrepreneur.
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