How Nadya Okamoto Went from Homeless to Award-Winning Girl Boss

Last year, now-19-year-old Nadya Okamoto was a Women of Worth honoree, L’Oréal Paris's annual philanthropic program that chooses ten women to receive a grant of up to $35,000 for their contributions to the world. The Portland, Oregon-native founded non-profit organization Period (it was then called Camions of Care), which provides feminine-hygiene products to the homeless. It's close to Okamoto's heart since when she was 15 years old she was homeless with her family. During her two hour commute to school, she spoke to many homeless women who faced difficulty when menstruating, and we're too embarrassed to ask for help. This led to Okamoto starting Period, and so far she's helped more than 78,000 people. She does all this while at the same time attending Harvard College. Feel lazy, yet?

For the 12th year, Women of Worth is calling for nominations, so a woman you know might be able to receive a grant. The nominations are open through May 8. We caught up with Okamoto to find out how she and her company is doing since she became an honoree. Hint: even better.

Can you explain a little about how you came up with the idea for Period?

My passion for menstrual hygiene formed during my family’s experience with not living in a home of our own home during my freshman to sophomore year of high school, and through conversations with homeless women I met. I became fascinated by other people’s stories of resilience in the face of adversity. This was mostly because it helped to distract my mind from my own personal situation, reminded me of how fortunate I was, and to keep working hard to pursue my education. The more women I met, the more eager I became to figure out how to help. I started doing research on homelessness and menstruation, and was baffled by what I found.

And your organization recently went global.

I learned that periods are the number one reason why girls miss school in developing countries In Kenya, girls miss an average of 4.9 days of school each month because of a lack of access to adequate menstrual hygiene. In rural Uganda, girls miss up to eight days of school each term.

What do you wish people knew about being homeless?

I wish people knew the many different faces of homelessness. Homelessness does not always look like an individual living on the street without shelter. In fact, more often times than not, homelessness can be not having the resources for basic living costs and having to scramble to find shelter either with friends, family, or in a car sometimes. What Period strives to do is not only address the need for people with periods who are on the street literally, but also for those in transitional housing, shelters, or just don’t have the extra resources to afford adequate menstrual hygiene.

What are some obstacles you’ve overcome starting Period?

The biggest challenge that we face as an organization is maintaining a flow of resources, specifically monetary donations, to meet the demand for our services. When we began, we were the only organization that we could find that was avidly working to provide period products to those in need and advocate on a global scale about celebrating and normalizing menstruation as a topic. When organizations that served homeless people with periods (or girls in developing countries) began reaching out, we realized how difficult it was to meet the demand with the limited resources we had.

What would you tell other women who want to start an organization like Period but don’t know where to start?

Make sure you are offering some new and missing solution to the field. If you have an idea that is already really similar to something that already exists, don’t invest time in making a competing organization. Instead, collaborate. If your idea isn’t already out there, then just go for it. You can’t do it alone, so make sure you find people who have complementary skill sets to yours. Learn to delegate tasks and listen/consider criticism and feedback. Always strive for larger impact and don’t take the failures of your start-up personally.

What’s next for you?

I will keep working on Period, or course — we just hired on our first full-time staff and are opening physical headquarters this May 2017. I am running for local office! I am running for Cambridge City Council. I am also writing a book (signed with a literary agent last fall) about The Menstrual Movement, youth activism, and being inspired by my own personal experiences facing and working to overcome adversity.

More on women's health:

1. Meghan Markle Just Wrote a Powerful Essay About Period Shame
2. Yogi Tackles Period Shame By Bleeding Through Her White Leggings
3. Sorry, But Your Period Isn't "Syncing" With Your Friends'

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