
Nadya Okamoto
Founder and Executive Director of Period. The Menstrual Movement. & Chief Brand Officer at JUV Consulting

HOW DID YOU CHOOSE A PATHWAY IN PUBLIC SERVICE?
I chose a path in public service because my mom always taught me to look at privilege as a spectrum. Wherever you are in life, there will always be people more privileged than you, and also less privileged than you. I comprehend it to be a part of my life’s mission to reconcile the privileges that I do have to give back to others. From the network I have, and the platform I have built, to the resources and opportunities granted to me by being a student at Harvard, I am committed to finding ways to better the world around me in any small way that I can.
WHO INSPIRES YOU AND WHY?
My mom and my two younger sisters, for their resilience, patience, and commitment to being outspoken and creative. My mom is a strategist who helps companies grow, my 18-year-old sister is an artist, and my 15-year-old sister is an opera singer.
WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR AAPI GIRLS AND WOMEN WHO WANT TO PURSUE A CAREER IN PUBLIC SERVICE?
Just go for it. Find mentors and take the leap – representation matters, and we still have work to do in diversifying the career field of public service.